Time to Learn
by AldabaranFox
Summary: A seemingly routine mission ends in disaster as one member of SG-1 is left behind and presumed dead to all. Only Jack O'Neill isn't going to give up without a fight. He's going to do everything possible and impossible to get her back. Simple.
1. Chapter 1

**First Stargate story! Hope you all welcome me kindly to this area- I'm relatively new at writing for Stargate! **

**Please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Stargate- but I do own the 10 DVD box sets of the series! :) Also don't own the song that runs through this chapter- 'Time to Learn' by Mary Duff. Recommend listening as you read- sets the right mood!**

* * *

**Chapter 1- Alone**

The house was quiet. The afternoon sunshine filtered in through the windows dappled by gently waving trees outside. On the kitchen counter perched three empty beer bottles and a plate with an uneaten sandwich. It was so quiet you could hear the fridge humming quietly in the corner.

In the kitchen a radio crackled softly, "_Well folks, this is the last one from me- hope you enjoyed the show," _the gentle spoken radio host said, Southern accent lilting. _"Tune in again same time tomorrow, here's Time to Learn…"_

The soft crooning of the song seemed to fill the entire house, steeling through the downstairs rooms, winding its way down the hallway and into the living room. The sole occupant of the house was in the living room, a lone figure sat slumped on the couch, dressed in a dark navy blue jersey and jeans. The TV across the room was off, a couple of unopened letters on the coffee table. The only sound was the song on the radio.

_It takes time to learn_

_When someone's gone for good_

_They're not coming back_

_Like you wished they would…_

Slowly, the man raked a hand through his short silver hair, before his head thumped back dispiritedly onto the cushions behind him. Colonel Jack O'Neill couldn't remember how long he had been sat on his couch for. Several more empty beer bottles were scattered on the wooden floor beside the sofa. He'd been here a while he guessed.

"Crap," he muttered, glancing at his watch. Past sixteen hundred hours. He scrubbed a hand over his face, gingerly feeling the stubble that was beginning to grow along his strong jaw line. Slowly he rose off the sofa, grimacing as his side twinged uncomfortably. Lifting up his jersey and white shirt Jack peered down at the bruised skin just above his left hip. It was healing nicely, _ol' doc Fraiser would be happy_ he thought grimly. Just had to take it easy and not aggravate the healing tissue.

Not that he mattered. This he could handle. This was easy.

Rearranging his clothing, Jack walked stiffly towards his kitchen, ignoring the empty bottles that had begun to pile up at the base of his sofa. He gathered the few letters from the table, quickly scanning them as he left the living room, sock covered feet barely making a sound on the floor. The song grew louder as he moved closer to the radio in the kitchen.

_In the empty hours_

_When you miss them so_

_Then it's time to learn_

_To let them go…_

"Ah geez," Jack rolled his eyes, dropping the letters on the counter with a soft splat, hand moving to turn off the radio. Between reaching the off button and pressing it, he paused, actually listening to the lyrics. Inwardly he flinched; the words had hit a sore spot. He frowned. Everything seemed dead set on reminding him. Of the pain. Not the physical pain. That he could handle- he'd had far worse.

This was emotional. Something Jack O'Neill didn't often have to deal with.

Subconsciously, Jack began to flick back over the last few days. Most had been spent on his couch, he seemed to recall. Quite a lot on the couch. Do nothing at all. Some had been at the SGC, finishing off SG1's last mission.

Here Jack broke off, turning away from the radio, leaning against the counter, staring out at his garden. SG1's last mission. Most of it was a blur- routine meet and greet that all seemed to squash together with all the other world's he and his team had visited. But not the end. That was not routine…

* * *

_Rapid shots from staff weapons sent dirt, bracken and bits of tree everywhere; orange flashes exploding everywhere. He looked back briefly, Daniel had just thrown himself through the wormhole right behind him. _

"_Teal'c go!"_

_The large Jaffa nodded and the two men ducked as more shots flew over their heads, before Teal'c followed Daniel. _

"_Carter!" _

_Where was she? He scanned the clearing where the Stargate was situated. Then he spotted her, crouched down…aw hell… beside a child from the village, calming the frightened young girl. _

"_Carter!" he yelled again, raising his voice above the explosions. The staff blasts were becoming more accurate as the Jaffa approached and his position as well as hers was vulnerable. _

"_Sir!" she shouted back. "We can't just leave her!"_

"_Dammit Carter- those Jaffa are getting close!" he pointed out the obvious. He could see the conflicting emotions racing across her face. He watched as she turned back to look at the child and began talking earnestly, gesturing to the forest. The child nodded._

_He winced as a burst of orange hit the ground mere feet from his position and readied his P90. He glanced back at the Stargate, the wormhole was still active. They didn't have all day…_

_He looked up to see the child leaving, slipping back into the forest, Carter watching her disappear. _

"_C'mon Carter! Today!" he yelled at her._

_She rose swiftly, ducking as she ran, minding the staff blasts. That was when it went wrong…_

_He was powerless to do anything, could only watch as a single orange staff blast sped towards Carter, striking her squarely in the back. He could feel his mouth opening in shock, a shout rising in his throat as he prepared to race towards her as she collapsed to the bracken covered floor, eyes widening in shock._

_Then pain radiated through his body, originating from his left side his subconscious managed to analyse in the haze of everything else. He felt himself stumble backwards, desperately trying to right himself as he fell backwards through the event horizon and everything went black…_

* * *

Jack's eyes opened with a snap. He was in his kitchen. In his kitchen. Not on P3X…wherever. He took a deep steadying breath. And that song was still playing on the radio he realised dumbly.

_We never had the chance to say goodbye to you_

_Words unsaid_

_And things undone_

_We'd just begun and now we'll never see them through_

God this was just cruel. The song seemed to know exactly what was going on. Childishly, Jack glared at the radio, as though it was the source of all his problems. Reaching over he thumbed the off switch firmly, relishing in the silence that descended on his house.

The silence didn't last very long. The telephone began to ring. Slowly, Jack reached over to grab it off it's cradle.

"O'Neill,"

"Er, Jack?"

Jack sighed. It was Daniel. He didn't reply.

"Jack? Jack you still there?" the persistent archaeologist queried.

"Ya Daniel. Still here."

"Well, I wanted to tell you we think we've got something. McKay and his friends seem to think they've sussed it," Daniel said.

Jack dropped the phone on the counter, already heading out of the kitchen.

"Jack? Jack? Hello? Am I on hold?" the indignant sounding Daniel trailed off, realising disgruntled that Jack probably had.

* * *

**How was it? Okay? Alright? Not alright? I've got three other chapters planned so updating should be relatively swift- couple of days maybe? If it should be continued?**

**Please tell me what you think! :) Break any bad news gently ok? :P**

**Thanks for reading!**

**AldabaranFox**


	2. Chapter 2

**All this Stargate writing made me splurge out and watch a marathon of the DVDs today :) Made me very happy! Also helped me gauge the characters a bit more...I hope I'm accurate and they're not to OOC!**

**Hugs and thanks for all the support for the first chapter- particularly: - dp, SG1rocks, thisISme and Jill :D I can't send you a personal PM so I thought I'd mention you here- thanks you guys! **

**Enjoy the second chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 2-The Mission**

The lift pinged open and out stepped Captain Samantha Carter. She sidestepped two personnel entering the lift and nodded warmly to Sergeant Siler as he passed her, pushing a trolley of equipment.

Shifting the object she was carrying, Sam rolled her blue issue BDU sleeves up and continued down the corridor of the SGC, coming to stop just outside an open door. She peered in and smiled when she saw the object of her interest standing with his back to her, scanning his shelves, book in hand.

"Happy birthday Daniel!" she called out at last, entering Daniel Jackson's Lab.

Surprised, Daniel turned round to see Sam standing in his doorway, wrapped present in her hands which she was holding out to him. A grateful smile slid across the archaeologist's face.

"Thanks Sam," he said, taking the offered present, staggering comically at the weight of it. "Let me guess- a book?" he turned it over, weighing it in his hands, feeling it through the packaging.

"Nuh uh, that would be telling," Sam raised an eyebrow, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Just so long as it isn't on wormhole physics," Daniel grinned, pushing up his glasses. "Not that there's anything wrong with wormhole physics of course…" he added quickly, just to make sure he hadn't offended the brilliant astrophysicist.

Sam laughed. "I assure you its not," she said.

"I also extend birthday wishes Daniel Jackson," a low voice said from the doorway. Both Sam and Daniel turned to see Teal'c standing in the doorway. The large Jaffa inclined his head towards the pair.

"Teal'c do come in," Daniel said, carefully putting Sam's present down on his desk and sifting through some of the piles of paper and books that cluttered his lab, freeing a couple of chairs. "Make yourselves comfortable," he said, heaving some of the heavier books away.

"I believe it is customary in Tauri tradition that on one's birthday one receives presents?" Teal'c queried. "I have prepared a gift for you," he said, holding out a present.

"Ah, Teal'c you didn't have to," Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck as he took the present gingerly from the Jaffa. He secretly hoped it wasn't a box set of Star Wars again.

"Do not fear Daniel Jackson. This time I elicited aid from someone who says they know you well," Teal'c said upon seeing Daniel's expression.

Daniel raised an eyebrow as he felt the package. "Oh? And who would that be?" he glanced across at Sam who held her hands out in front of her in a peace gesture shaking her head. So if it wasn't her it was…

"That would be me Danny boy," Jack's cheery voice filtered into the room before the man himself, who casually stepped around the corner, leaning against the doorframe, surveying his team mates, giving them a merry wave. "Starting the party without me?" he looked offended.

"This isn't a party Jack," Daniel muttered, shifting more files as Teal'c sat down. "Just a…"

"It's a gathering sir. To say happy birthday," Sam filled in helpfully.

"Well happy birthday Daniel," Jack said, clapping slowly. "Now if you kids are quite done- I can't believe I'm the only one who remembered we're heading out at thirteen hundred hours could I? I think I actually found the memo for this one," he said proudly, holding up a yellow post-it note.

"No, we knew," Daniel said. "But we got three hours still." He checked his watch to confirm it.

"Well," Jack exhaled. "I wanna see you all in the Gateroom, thirteen hundred sharp," he pointed to all of them. "Enjoy your presents Daniel," The Colonel said airily as he left. "Particularly the socks."

Daniel glanced across at Sam.

"Wasn't me," she defended quickly.

"Colonel O'Neill seemed to think that socks make excellent presents," Teal'c offered, face as straight as ever. "Particularly those with the 'Simpsons' on them."

Daniel raised an eyebrow as Sam struggled to contain her laughter. "Oh really?" Daniel managed after a moment, "I'll…I'll have to thank him for the idea later," he grimaced slightly.

Sam laughed. "I should get back to work Daniel," she smiled, hugging the archaeologist quickly. "See you two later, enjoy your presents." Daniel waved as she left, still holding Teal'c's wrapped socks and Teal'c inclined his head solemnly.

There was silence in Daniel's lab for a moment.

"Are you not going to try them on Daniel Jackson?"

"Oh brother…" Daniel muttered.

* * *

_(Three hours later)_

"Chevron One is encoded," Walter's voice echoed through the Gateroom as SG1 entered, the door hissing open as the claxon sounded. The team shifted their packs, checking their guns nonchalantly as the Stargate continued to dial.

"Looks like Walter's training some new people," Daniel observed, rolling his shoulders to make his pack sit more comfortably, glancing up at the Control Room where numerous wide eyed scientists were gathered around the Master Sergeant was busy dialling up the gate. He looked to be enjoying the attention.

"Chevron Four encoded," Walter announced, the gate clanking as it span, another chevron locking into place.

"Scientists," Jack rolled his eyes, fiddling with the harness clip on his P90. "No offence Carter," he offered towards his second in command who raised an eyebrow at his comment. "So tell me about this place we're visiting," he changed tack quickly.

"P3X-924, home to a fairly advanced race called the Molarion," Daniel rattled off what he knew, flicking quickly through his notebook. "Of course, they're not so advanced that we think the Goa'uld would be a threat to them yet. The world is pretty similar to ours, similar diurnal temperature ranges, seasonal variation and other weather patterns. They have some interesting-"

"Chevron Six encoded," Walter's voice cut off Daniel.

"Meet and greet then," Jack classified offhandedly as the Gate continued to dial.

"You could call it that yes," Daniel said, "But I think its so _much_ more-"

"Chevron Seven locked – wormhole established," Walter announced, cutting off Daniel's comments again, as the familiar 'kawoosh' filled the Gateroom as the wormhole engaged before settling back into the gate, shimmering like water.

"Why do I bother?" Daniel wondered aloud as Sam patted him briefly on the shoulder, lips twitching in mirth.

"Let's move out," Jack signalled to his team as they climbed up onto the ramp, boots clanking as they went. Jack glanced back once to salute to the scientists watching before stepping through the event horizon, hot on Teal'c's heels.

* * *

It was as Jack had said. A routine meet and greet with the locals of P3X-924. SG1 had been met at the gate and then escorted towards the encampment. Daniel was almost bouncing along, engrossed all the way in deep conversation with one of the villagers.

Jack and Teal'c took a more sedate pace. "Daniel Jackson looks most eager today," Teal'c observed as they walked along the sparsely wooded track towards the village.

"Must be a birthday thing," Jack surmised, P90 swinging in front of his green BDU and SG vest. "I wonder if these locals know about cake…"

Sam brought up the rear of the group, walking more slowly as she examined the information on her UTD, or Universal Tricorder Device as she kept reminding the Colonel every time he asked. Which was quite frequently; every other moment he decided to look back to make sure she was keeping up. So far there hadn't been much of interest showing up on her scanners.

The day passed very quickly as SG1 mingled with the Molarion. Daniel was all too pleased to witness some of the village's rituals, whilst hastily scribbling down notes. Jack and Teal'c paced around the camp, maintaining radio contact as they went.

In the centre of the camp, Sam had set up a field laboratory and was testing soil samples she had collected from various sites. A sudden tap on the shoulder made the captain dart round in surprise, hand falling to her P90. She relaxed when she saw a child standing before her.

"Hello, what's your name?" Sam asked smiling, pushing her weapon out of the way as she crouched before the little girl.

"Remmie," the little girl said quietly before glancing over Sam's shoulder at all the equipment, pointing at one item in particular.

"Ah this?" Sam asked, picking up a small scanner. "This is device that analyses things for me. You see…" she trailed off as Remmie toddled past her to look closer at the other equipment. Sam shrugged and watched in silence as the little girl continued to explore, occasionally pointing to something.

Suddenly, Sam's radio crackled, "_Carter_?"

"Carter here sir," she pressed down on the radio as she heard O'Neill hailing her. "Any problems?"

"_Nothing yet. Found some odd looking footprints but they don't look like much_," Jack reported. "_Heading back to the village now."_

"Right sir. I'm just doing some small experiments…and entertaining a young child," she smiled as Remmie examined her hand held scanner, turning it over in her small hands.

Sam could almost hear the Colonel's eyebrows rising, "_Oh really? Well don't bore the child to sleep Carter_," he warned, tone warm.

"I won't sir," Sam smiled. "See you back at the camp."

"_Righty oh," _The Colonel signed off, radio going dead.

When Jack and Teal'c arrived back at the camp, Sam headed to greet them, Remmie tagging along behind, content to hold the scanner- which Sam had made sure was turned off so small, curious fingers couldn't fiddle and break anything.

"This the kid you were talking about?" Jack indicated to the little girl who peered out behind Sam's legs.

"Yes, this is Remmie," Sam introduced. "Remmie, this is Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c. My friends," she offered the small girl who nodded wisely, showing the two men wide, solemn eyes.

"Howdy," Jack squatted down beside the child. "You like chocolate?" he held out one of the ration bars from his pack to the child. She took it shyly after Jack had opened it and broken off a bit for himself.

"You have a way with children O'Neill," Teal'c commented gravely as Remmie smiled at Jack.

"Yeah, well," Jack trailed off, standing again, groaning as his knees protested slightly. "Carter, we're going to check in with the SGC and then on Daniel, make sure he's not getting into any sort of trouble he'll regret later and then I think we'll set up camp."

"That sounds good sir," Sam nodded briskly. "I'll stay here and see if I can find anything."

"Ya sure ya betcha," Jack grinned as he and Teal'c moved on towards where Daniel was sitting in a small circle with some of the village elders, Jack stuffing his hands casually in his pockets as he went.

"That there's my commanding officer," Sam pointed out to Remmie as she knelt beside the child again. "He's the boss," she tweaked the little girl's cheek gently as the girl giggled, still chewing on the chocolate.

Unexpectedly, the moment was broken as Remmie shrank closer to Sam as a man went stomping past. Sam eyed the man coolly as he surveyed her and the child. For a while neither spoke, before Sam broke the silence.

"Can I help you?" she asked, as Remmie buried her face in Sam's neck.

The man scowled heavily, eyes full of distrust landing on Sam's equipment. "What's all this?" he waved an arm at the technology.

"Just collecting some samples to study. The soil, plants," Sam answered honestly, smoothing back Remmie's hair as she spoke.

The man still scowled but took a step closer. Sam could have sworn she heard Remmie whimper, the girl twisting away to hide her face in Sam's hair. "You're dangerous," he accused. "You bewitch the children, see!" he pointed at Remmie.

Sam frowned. "I haven't done anything," she said firmly. "You're frightening the child."

Angered, the man took a step closer. He was taller than Sam, by half a head and much more thickset and broad shouldered. Of course that didn't matter to her. She'd taken down bigger opponents in her career.

"Don't mind me, but is there a problem here?" Jack's casual sounding voice filtered into the conversation as he glanced between his second-in-command and the village man, hand resting carefully on his P90.

For a moment the village man looked even more incensed but saw that two against one were probably not the best odds. He growled something before stomping off.

"Carter?" The Colonel gazed down at the Captain as she comforted the child who still looked upset.

"Sorry sir," Sam said as she stood up. "I don't know what the matter was with him."

Jack nodded slowly. "Just don't give him any reason to…y'know," he said, waving to all the equipment.

"Yes sir," Sam replied. She squeezed Remmie's shoulder comfortingly. "Hey there, it's okay. He's gone now," she soothed the little girl who looked a lot more relaxed.

"Well Daniel and Teal'c are getting the camp set up, so if you want to join us, we'll be over there," Jack pointed to a corner of the village," Jack hovered for a moment, flashing a warm smile at the little girl.

Sam nodded.

* * *

SG1 spent another two days with the Molarion. By the time they were packing up to leave they felt like one of the village, thanking their kind hosts for their generous hospitality.

"Thank you," Daniel said again, bowing to the village elders as they tried to press him with more gifts, "Really, it's too much. Here, keep this, no I insist!"

Jack raised an eyebrow as the archaeologist tried fruitlessly to give back the many gifts. "Looks like Danny has his hands full," he observed.

Sam smiled, "Did you tell them it was his birthday?"

"It…may have slipped out…in polite conversation," Jack admitted, adjusting his cap.

"Samantha?" a small voice asked from somewhere near the Captain's hip. She looked down and saw Remmie who had stayed with her for most of her visit.

"Hey Remmie," Sam said, crouching down beside the child, stroking back the straw coloured hair from the round face. "Is this a new dress?" Remmie smiled shyly, holding it out for Sam to admire. "It looks very pretty," Sam told the child.

Jack watched the interaction between the only female member of his team and the young child out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but think…what if? What if Carter hadn't joined the SG program? Had a chance at having a normal life, husband, family, children?

"Aw c'mon," Jack muttered to himself, shaking himself roughly. That was not a safe train of thought to follow, in any circumstances. "Kids, time to leave," he called loudly to his team, looking away from his second-in-command.

Teal'c stood stoically, staff weapon in hand, waiting patiently as the rest of the team assembled, Daniel still trying to push gifts back as the villagers pressed more into his hands.

Finally, SG1 pried themselves away from the village, heading back through the forest.

"Can you carry all of that Daniel?" Jack asked, glancing at the man stumbling under weight of the presents he had been laden with.

"I didn't ask for this!" Daniel assured him as they walked, bracken and twigs crunching under foot. Jack leaned over and took a box, rattling it gently. Curious, he opened it and saw small edible treats that the whole team had enjoyed nestled inside.

"Don't mind if I do," he said, eating one cheerily before handing the box back.

A sudden burst of orange sped between them, knocking the box right out of Jack's hand as he attempted to pass it back to Daniel. None of the team had to ask what that was. A staff weapon blast, accompanied by yells in Goa'uld from behind them.

"Move it!" Jack yelled as more explosions littered the ground around them, sending bracken and dirt flying into the air. They were being herded towards the gate. There was no way they could try and fight their way back to the village. Heading towards the gate was the only option.

Not even leaving time to pick up the food, Jack hurtled through the woodland, Sam just to his left, Daniel behind and Teal'c returning fire shoots. "Carter dial it up!" the Colonel ordered as the Stargate that loomed above them as they entered the clearing.

"Yes sir," Sam yelled jogging quickly across to the DHD, ducking as a shot sailed past her head. Jack felt his gut clench at the nearness of the shot. Confidently, she began to press down on the glyphs and the familiar sound of the Stargate dialing filled the clearing.

"O'Neill, their numbers are many," Teal'c said, arriving at Jack's side, staff weapon ready. "I saw movement through the trees, at least eight, maybe more."

"A scouting party?" Daniel surmised. His presents had been dropped; left behind now the situation was serious.

Suddenly, an orange blast sped through the trees, skimming towards the gate and the four people dialing it up. Jack and Teal'c immediately dropped, returning fire, Jack's P90 singing.

"Daniel get through the gate now!" Jack yelled as the gate activated.

Daniel didn't have to be told twice as he thumbed in SG1's code into his GDO to make sure that the iris would be open on the other side. A moment later he was throwing himself through the gate as a shot zipped over his head.

* * *

Sam crouched beside the DHD, returning fire as she scanned the trees for any sign on enemy movement. What she saw made her eyes widen in disbelief. It was Remmie, crouched by the trees, hands over her ears.

"Remmie!" Sam cried. The child was almost directly in the firing line.

Staying low to the ground, Sam hurried across the clearing, managing to avoid any Jaffa shots. She slid to a halt on her knees beside the child, who looked up with tear stricken eyes to the woman she knew.

"Remmie, you have to go home," Sam said, raising her voice above the noise of explosions and gunfire. Any moment their position would be exposed. Sam would not be responsible for this child's death.

* * *

"Teal'c go!" Jack yelled as both men edged towards the gate, Jack returning a brief volley of fire toward where their enemy was hiding.

The Jaffa nodded and with two short strides was through the Stargate, the event horizon rippling as he passed through it. Jack had little time to watch Teal'c disappear, his eyes sharp and on the lookout for any approaching Jaffa.

"Carter!" The Colonel shouted.

When there was no answering reply, Jack felt his gut clench again. He scanned the clearing again, had she been shot? He'd sent her over to the DHD and hadn't heard anything from her since.

He spotted her; by the trees, crouched down on the other side of the clearing. Relief sprang up from his chest, she was unharmed. He looked harder and groaned. The child…Remmie- that was her name was with her.

"Carter!" Jack yelled, this time attracting her attention as a brief lull in the staff weapon shots allowed her to hear his voice. She glanced sharply up at him, guilt and a mixture of other emotions washing across her face.

"Sir we can't just leave her!" she cried back at him, throwing herself and Remmie to the ground as a staff blast whizzed over their heads, striking a tree behind the Stargate in a flash of light.

"Dammit Carter those Jaffa are getting close!"

Sam bit her lip. Turning to face Remmie, she smoothed back the straw coloured hair. "Remmie, you have to go. Find a hiding place in the woods and stay there until everything is quiet. Then run home understand me? You must not be seen or they will hurt you. Please Remmie?" she begged the little girl.

Remmie nodded slowly, before giving Sam a tentative hug.

"Go, go!" Sam shooed the child, who glanced back once before disappearing into the forest. Sam could feel the tears building in her eyes; it was almost like it was with Cassie all over again.

"C'mon Carter! Today!" Jack yelled, retreating towards the gate, firing again as the staff weapons began zapping towards them. He watched as Sam rose swiftly, bent nearly double to avoid being hit. She was already half way across the clearing. A little further and they'd both be through the gate, the welcoming claxons of the SGC sounding in their ears…

Jack felt his eyes widening in horror as they tracked a lone staff blast. There was nothing he could do. He felt a warning yell bubbling up in his throat, but his lips moved wordlessly as he pointed behind the Captain.

It was as though time had slowed down. Jack watched as the orange blast hit Sam from behind, sending her lurching forward, her own eyes widening in shock and pain. Her legs buckled beneath her, unable to support her weight as she went crashing to the ground, sprawled on the bracken floor, back smoking ominously.

"CARTER!"

Jack felt the shout tear from his lips as he watched her fall.

Instantly, pain radiated up his side. He had been so busy watching her; he had failed to see the staff blast heading directly towards him. It caught him on the left flank, just above his hip, a searing pain jolting through him. Jack felt himself stumble backwards, away from his fallen team member. He desperately tried to right himself, throw himself forward to reach her as his vision swam painfully and he fell backwards through the gate.

* * *

There were the claxons, shrieking as Jack felt his vision returning. They were home. They'd all gotten home. Hadn't he known that he and Carter would get through the gate in one piece?

That was odd…why was he on his back looking up at the ceiling? Didn't he usually came through standing up? How was he meant to impress those scientists if he couldn't even come through the gate upright…?

Suddenly three heads appeared above him, making him squint.

"It's okay sir, we need to get you to the infirmary."

He recognized the female voice, and the short woman with neatly coiffed brown hair and a white lab coat on. Janet Fraiser, CMO. Woman who always had a big needle ready. Real big ones. She briefly disappeared from his field of view to shout something.

"Jack it's fine, you're back," that was Daniel's low, soothing voice, somewhere to his right. For Pete's sake couldn't somebody lower the volume of those flipping warning claxons? They were doing his head in!

"On three lift," Fraiser was saying. "One, two…"

Confusion welled up inside Jack. Was he injured?

"Three!" the petite doctor said and strong hands were lifting Jack onto a stretcher. He felt cramps ripping through his stomach and he groaned as someone attached a breathing mask over his nose and mouth.

"Carter," he managed to rasp. Where was she? "Carter!" he tried more strongly. Why was nobody paying any damn attention to him?

"It's going to be fine Jack," Daniel's voice was back, accompanied by a clanking as Jack felt himself moving, being carried down the ramp leading to the Stargate and placed on a gurney. The ceiling was wiping past him now, lights a blur as the gurney was sped along and Jack felt himself losing his grip on consciousness.

"Carter…"

* * *

**It turned out to be more humerous than I intended...did you find it funny or should I just leave the humour to those who write it better than I do? haha :P At least the angst came back at the end- with plenty more still to come :D**

**Hope you enjoyed and it cleared up some questions from the last chapter. Hopefully not all- or there would be no point in continuing! lol. Next chapter will be up very shortly!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**AldabaranFox**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back- earlier than promised! That's because you readers have been so good to me- reviews, hit, alerts and all :D I'm so happy! So I decided to treat you all- only fair :D**

**I hope the beginning bit has pace- it's meant to be happening fast. It just looks slow because…well it's not like you see it on TV which was how I tried to imagine it playing out. Maybe if you think of it like that it may make more sense. Plus I am indebted to the Stargate SG1 soundtracks…which helped a lot :D plus watching more Stargate! Try listening to one of the tense tracks...er Youtube: Within the Serpent's Grasp- wait for it to get going :D Bits of it helped. I disclaim any song and the characters of Stargate still! :P**

**One person- Jill made an excellent point- I've made Sam a Captain still. That obviously places this story between seasons 1-3. I neglected to mention when this fic was actually set! Ha. Oh well. I've decided it's mid-way through season 2. SG1 have gelled nicely and are a proper team- it's after events such as Sam being taken by Jolinar. Just so there is **_**something **_**already (if little) between Jack and Sam. But then this will probably spoil the rest of the series but I'll try not to. It may end up AU. That is most likely. Yes definitely AU :D Thanks Jill for pointing this out- and for your review :D Also to dp and SG1rocks for your reviews too :D**

**Sadly this chapter is not as humorous. It would have spoilt the angsty mood…**

**Enjoy :D**

* * *

**Chapter 3- Revelations**

_(In the Gateroom) _

Daniel blinked as the familiar view of the SGC Gateroom flooded his senses as he clattered to a halt down the ramp from the Stargate. Claxons were already wailing and he glanced up to see General Hammond and Walter with several technicians behind them, staring through from the Control Room.

"General, we're under heavy fire!" Daniel yelled as an orange staff blast flew through the gate, slamming into one of the walls, showering sparks on the Gateroom. "Keep the gate open!"

"Where's the rest of SG1?" Hammond demanded, leaning into the microphone.

"Right behind me," Daniel said, motioning back to the Stargate, moving off the ramp and looking back along it. As if on cue, Teal'c came tumbling through, followed by a collection of dirt and debris as more staff blasts followed.

"Are you being followed?" Hammond asked.

"There are several Jaffa following us. Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter will be through momentarily," Teal'c replied, moving off the ramp closer to Daniel. The blast doors to the Gateroom slid open and a dozen SFs clanked in, setting up a perimeter, guns trained on the Stargate.

Several tense moments followed, the occasional staff blast still flying haphazardly through the gate. Luckily little damage had been sustained and no one had yet been hit.

"You said they were right behind you… right?" Daniel said in an undertone to Teal'c who nodded solemnly, his zat ready in the firing position.

The event horizon suddenly rippled and Daniel and Teal'c watched as Jack flew backwards through the Stargate, hit the metal ramp hard, rolling over until he stopped near their feet.

"He's injured! Get a medic!" Daniel yelled up at the Control Room, crouching down beside the Colonel, spying the wound above Jack's left hip. "Hey, Jack? Jack can you hear me?" he rested a hand on the man's shoulder.

The archaeologist glanced up at the gate. Still no Sam. He bit his lip. Any moment now she'd be through. She had probably sent the Colonel through first…yeah that was it…

Behind the window General Hammond grabbed the microphone, "Medical team report to the Gateroom," the order heading straight for the infirmary. "I repeat- emergency Medical team report to the Gateroom!"

Daniel turned back to Jack. "Jack? Where's Sam?" he asked, but received only a groan of pain as the Colonel's eyes flickered dazedly. Daniel's mind flashed through the possibilities: was she right behind the Colonel? Had Sam been unable to get back through the gate? Jack would never leave a person behind. Especially if it was Sam… Daniel felt his heartbeat quicken.

"Sir, I'm receiving some weird power fluctuations," Walter said, drawing the General's attention away from the scene in the Gateroom, back to his consoles as data flashed up on the screen and various alarms began to sound shrilly in the Control Room. "Sir, the wormhole is no longer stable!"

As soon as Walter spoke, large spikes of electricity crawled around the gate, crackling and bouncing off the walls. Several SFs ducked as a jolt hurtled towards them, hitting the wall instead and blackening the concrete.

"Can you shut it down?" Hammond stipulated, typing in his own commands into the computer

"Sir I have no control! Power is being diverted…" Walter replied, tapping away frantically. "Energy readings are fluctuating off the scale sir! But from what I can tell, this wasn't caused at our end of the wormhole…"

An ear-splitting blast echoed around the Gateroom at that moment, sending the Gateroom into a state of darkness as the computers in the Control Room shut down. There was a loud kawoosh and the wormhole disappeared.

"No!" Daniel lurched towards the Stargate as the wormhole disappeared. Sam hadn't come through yet. "Gods," his hands rose up to clutch his hair in desperation. Surely she had been right behind the Colonel? Did that mean…? Daniel clenched his teeth together hard.

Teal'c had also stepped forward as the gate had shut down, eyes widening.

"We have to redial that planet!" Daniel whirled round to look up at the Control Room. "Sam could still be there!"

"Back-up generators are online," Walter's voice filtered through the comm. system as green lights flickered, bathing the Gateroom and Control Room in an ethereal green glow, as the medical team burst into the Gateroom, pushing a gurney, Janet Fraiser, Chief Medical Office running alongside several other medics.

"Report," Hammond said, peering over the man's shoulder. He could see the distress in the archaeologist's eyes. This needed to be fixed. Now.

"Main systems are down, we suffered an overload to the power systems," a technician to Walter's right said as information about the shut down began to filter onto the computers. "Some damage sustained."

"How long until we can get full power back online?" Hammond demanded.

* * *

"Colonel? Colonel can you hear me?" Janet asked as she knelt quickly by the still figure of Jack, grabbing her stethoscope and quickly feeling for Jack's pulse. "He's stable, let's get him to the infirmary stat!" she called to the other medics as they brought forward the gurney.

"Huh?" Jack was groggily blinking up at them.

"It's okay sir, we just need to get you to the infirmary," Janet gently reassured the confused Colonel as his eyes sluggishly moved from Daniel's face to the small doctor's.

"Jack, it's fine you're back," Daniel soothed as Jack struggled, trying to sit up. Janet put a strong hand on Jack's shoulder, keeping him immobile as a medic slipped a breathing mask over his face and nose.

"On three," Janet glanced at her team. "One…two…three!"

Carefully but quickly, they lifted the confused and injured officer onto the gurney, Daniel rising beside Jack, who was mumbling something, twisting his head frantically to the side, lips moving. Daniel lent in closer.

"Carter," Jack mumbled. "Carter!"

Daniel laid an arm on Jack's shoulder as the gurney was rolled out of the Gateroom. "It's going to be fine Jack," he managed, offering a weak smile. The gurney sped up.

"We'll take him from here Daniel," Janet said kindly, surveying both him and Teal'c. "I'll notify you if anything should come up." With that she hurried after the medical gurney heading for her infirmary.

Daniel and Teal'c were left standing in the middle of the corridor as white lights began to flicker on as normal systems were rebooted.

"Dammit!" Daniel kicked the wall in an unusual display of anger. He slumped against it, resting his head back against the cool concrete. Teal'c watched him with composure, though Daniel knew better. He could see the vein twitching in the large Jaffa's temple and knew that inwardly the man was just as anxious to see what could be done to rescue Sam.

* * *

_(In the Briefing Room) _

Daniel and Teal'c, after a quick shower and change of clothes, had headed up to the Briefing room. Daniel was too wound up to sit down and instead paced the length of the room, every so often glancing out of the window down at the Stargate where Sergeant Siler and his team were already hard at work.

Teal'c was sitting in on one of the chairs, fingers laced on the table in front of him, eyes closed.

At that moment, Janet Fraiser walked in, followed by General Hammond, who sat down heavily at the head of the table.

"General Hammond," Daniel said quickly, striding over. "Janet how's Jack?" he asked. Teal'c opened his eyes, fixing them on the petite brown haired doctor.

The CMO offered a small smile. "He'll be fine. He was actually very lucky, the damage was only skin deep, no major organs or blood vessels hit. We've given him some pain relief he only needed a few stitches. It looked worse than it actually was," Janet explained, dropping her report on the table.

"What about Sam?" Daniel pressed, looking to General Hammond. "Can we dial out yet?"

"Son, the Gate's not yet ready to dial anywhere," Hammond said regretfully as Daniel's face fell. "As soon as it is operational we'll see what can be done. I've got teams working round the clock to get it up and running again. Now why don't you tell me _exactly _what was going on, on that planet?"

Daniel carded a hand through his hair, thinking. "We got there, everything was fine. No signs of any Goa'uld at all, the Malorion hadn't even heard of them before," the archaeologist was speaking agitatedly, resuming his pacing. "We spent two days there, checked in with the SGC regularly. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Then we're leaving and suddenly we're being fired upon. Jack ordered us to run for the Gate, there wasn't much of an option anyway. Sam dialled it up, I went through first."

Hammond looked to Teal'c.

"I concur with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c nodded sombrely. "I too was surprised at the sudden ambush. Colonel O'Neill and I did a sweep of the area and saw no signs of Goa'uld activity. From what I had observed these people were peaceful and somewhat primitive."

"Exactly!" Daniel stated, slapping his fist into his other palm. "No weapons, no advanced technology, nothing the Goa'uld could possibly want."

Teal'c only raised an eyebrow at Daniel's interruption before continuing. "I stepped through the gate second. Colonel O'Neill informed me he and Captain Carter would be next."

"You're sure you didn't see any signs of suspicious activity?" Hammond questioned, looking between the Jaffa and archaeologist. They both shook their heads. "Is the Colonel awake?" the General asked Janet.

She nodded. "He awoke just before I came here before falling asleep," Janet told them. "We can go check on him now."

* * *

_(In the Infirmary)_

"Gah," Jack muttered to himself as he felt consciousness flow through his veins, tugging him awake. His throat felt very dry and his left side throbbed uncomfortably. Where was he?

Opening his eyes a crack, he realised quickly he was in the SGC infirmary. He was in those annoying blue infirmary scrubs and one arm was hooked up to an IV line. A couple of Fraiser's medical machines winked at him in the semi darkness of the room. Jack groaned. He hated this place.

"Should be more careful with this old body," he mumbled, trying to push himself up into a sitting position against the pillows. Where was the rest of his team? Was he the only one injured again? Damn that was embarrassing.

"Hello?" he called out to the empty room, wincing as his throat rasped. "Carter? Daniel? Teal'c?" he paused. "Fraiser- you there?"

The door to the infirmary opened and a male medic walked in, white lab coat, stethoscope and all.

"Hey, can I get some water over here?" Jack indicated to his sore throat.

The doctor nodded and passed him a cup of cool water and a straw, watching Jack carefully as he drank. Removing the cup from the Colonel, he examined the charts, checking the IV bag.

"Ah, Colonel you're awake again." That was Fraiser's voice. "How are you feeling?" Jack looked up to see the small doctor bustle into her infirmary, setting down a file beside his bed.

"Peachy," Jack replied, fiddling with a strand of the bed sheets. "Any chance I could be getting out of here soon?" he looked hopeful.

"That's up to me," Janet said, raising an eyebrow as she checked his charts.

Jack grimaced, but soon managed to smile as he watched Daniel peek around the door. "C'mon in Daniel. I presume Teal'c and Carter are there too? Come to gloat?" he asked, waving his arms at the room.

Daniel walked hesitantly into the room, "Ah, no Jack. We just came to see how you were," he said as Teal'c entered after him.

Jack craned his neck to check around behind the big Jaffa. "Where's Carter? She didn't feel like coming to visit while I'm stuck on my sorry butt in here? Or is she too busy working on some doo-hickey or other in her lab?"

Daniel grabbed a seat from a nearby desk, wheeling it over to Jack's bed with the back towards the bed and sat on it, folding his arms on the back support as he surveyed Jack. "You don't remember?" he asked.

"Remember what?" Jack glanced between the archaeologist and Jaffa, mystified. "What happened?"

"We were on a mission to P3X 924 O'Neill," Teal'c explained. "We were ambushed on returning to the Gate."

Jack nodded slowly, his eyes filling with understanding. "Yeah, yeah I remember that. Nice people they were. Carter found herself a kid…Remmie. You got lots of presents. We were heading back. That's when I got shot," he said, gently probing his side. "Damn lucky shot too," he muttered aggrieved.

"Jack, what happened to Sam?" Daniel pressed gently.

Jack froze. Slowly, he glanced up to look at Daniel. Why hadn't he noticed before that the man's eyes looked particularly glassy? _Ok wrong choice of words O'Neill, _he quickly berated himself. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly, voice now deadly serious.

"Captain Carter did not return through the Stargate with you," Teal'c said.

Jack's brown eyes couldn't possibly get any wider. "She didn't?" Then his eyes were snapping shut as a low groan left him. "Aw hell…god she was shot…" he said softly. "One of the stray staff blasts caught her in the back…"

He heard Daniel's breath leave him in a sharp gasp. Jack couldn't look up at the man's face.

It was as though the temperature had plunged in the infirmary. Janet looked across sympathetically as Daniel ran a hand over his face, disbelieving. From what she had learnt about the kind hearted archaeologist over the past year and a half was that he was probably blaming himself, thinking of how he should have stayed to help the others.

Teal'c had his hands clasped behind his back, head bowed. It was a lot harder to decipher what the stoic man was thinking.

"I fell through the gate, shot a moment later…" Jack trailed off, staring at the standard issue infirmary sheets. "She didn't come through?"

Teal'c shook his head. "The Gate suffered a malfunction and overloaded. It shut down before Captain Carter came through."

"Have you tried redialling?" Jack demanded.

"The Gate is not yet operational," Daniel replied. "It could take a few more hours."

Jack tuned out of the discussion. He'd left someone behind. The very person he had told that he never left anyone behind. Gods he felt…terrible. Great guilt wracked him and he trembled imperceptibly. Then again… he was Jack O'Neill. Almost immediately, a cold façade slipped over him, his face becoming unreadable to the outside world. No one would see the inner torment.

"Jack, we don't blame you," Daniel said tentatively. God knew that the Colonel was already beating himself up about it. That was the look Daniel had begun to recognize as when Jack O'Neill closed himself off from the rest of the world. It was very hard to coax him out again.

"I think we should let my patient rest," Janet broke gently into the conversation. "Colonel, you need to rest," she advised.

Daniel rose to his feet. "We'll keep working on the problem Jack. You get better here."

"Whatever," Jack muttered, not meeting the archaeologist's eyes. Daniel stared at him for a moment before signalling to Teal'c that they should leave.

"I wish you a speedy recovery," Teal'c said.

"Thanks T."

The Jaffa inclined his head towards Jack before following Daniel out of the infirmary and shutting the door quietly behind them. Janet inconspicuously replaced the IV bag.

Jack let his head fall back on the pillows as he stared at a solitary spot on the infirmary ceiling. He'd left her behind. When one of his team had most needed him he'd left them behind.

He had seen the look of pain and surprise written in her wide blue eyes as she had been hit. Damn if only he had been quicker, more alert, ready, faster…anything and he could have brought her home. He'd left her to torture and death at the hands of the Goa'uld. That was if she hadn't been travelling through the gate at the time it collapsed…

Janet gave the silent Colonel one last look as she stepped out of the infirmary, hand resting on the door handle. Jack was exactly how Daniel and Teal'c had left him, gazing up at the ceiling, immobile. Janet sighed, shutting the door behind her as she strode away from her infirmary.

It looked like she was going to have to prescribe some down time for SG1. They definitely were in need of it. She couldn't believe the vibrant team, half way through celebrating Daniel's birthday the day or two before had come back mere shells of themselves, missing a member.

With a heavy heart the CMO swiped her card for the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. She needed to talk to General Hammond.

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing that registered in Sam's mind. A white hot lancing pain in her back. As she felt consciousness beginning to flow back through her veins, the slightest movement lit her nerve endings with irrepressible agony. Was she dead? No, death couldn't hurt this much. She'd never felt anything worse than this.

"Oh god," Sam whimpered, lying completely still. Where was she? She had vague memories flashing before her closed eyes.

"_Carter dial it up!"_

"_Daniel get through the gate now!"_

"_Remmie!"_

"_Sir we can't just leave her!"_

"_Dammit Carter those Jaffa are getting close!" _

"_CARTER!"_

She had been shot in the back by one of the staff blasts. Her eyes widened in surprise. She'd been shot in the back? How was she not dead? Where was the rest of her team? "Colonel?" she tried. Even that word sent pain radiating up her spine.

_Think Carter _Sam scolded herself. She needed to work out where she was. Opening her eyes a fraction she realised that it was just as dark with her eyes shut as with them open. So that did not help her much.

Reflexively, Sam tried to wiggle her fingers, which tingled slightly, but felt relief wash through her when this caused less pain than a moment before. Then she tried to wiggle her toes. Her mouth fell open in a silent gasp, she could feel the hot tears stinging her eyes.

"I can't feel my legs!" she whimpered.

* * *

**I'm evil. I'm so sorry. **

**Not. *h****ides*******

**Next chapter coming very soon! Promise! Won't keep you in too much suspense for long…how could I? By Saturday? Sunday latest? **

**Thanks for reading!**

**AldabaranFox**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woah-almost didn't make getting this chapter up for when I said I would! Today has been hectic- I was taken off to the zoo with my family and have a birthday party this evening! And I hadn't finished the chapter before going to the zoo! So any mistakes are mine sadly - I'd mostly finished it but wanted it up by Sunday anyway! Just for you to enjoy!**

**Can't believe how many people are reading it- thank you for your support! I apologise for the mean cliff hanger from last time :) Sadly it doesn't get any better!**

**So- here it is- I'm uploading whilst wrapping presents- that's multitasking if ever! :D**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4-Hopes and Fears**

_The telephone began to ring. Slowly, Jack reached over to grab it off its cradle._

"_O'Neill," _

"_Er, Jack?"_

_Jack sighed. It was Daniel. He didn't reply._

"_Jack? Jack you still there?" the persistent archaeologist queried. _

"_Ya Daniel. Still here."_

"_Well, I wanted to tell you we think we've got something. McKay and his friends seem to think they've sussed it," Daniel said. _

_Jack dropped the phone on the counter, already heading out of the kitchen._

"_Jack? Jack? Hello? Am I on hold?" the indignant sounding Daniel trailed off, realising Jack probably had._

In a whirl Jack stumbled around his house. The first thought that came to his mind was shower and a shave. He couldn't remember when he'd last had one. He probably stank. Hurrying upstairs, Jack had one of the speediest showers before slipping into clean clothes.

He was running back downstairs, grabbing coat and shoes as he went, snatching his car keys from their place. Jack glanced quickly round his living room. It was in severe need of a clean. Later.

Stepping out of his house he locked the front door before striding to his car, starting the engine swiftly and yanking his seatbelt on. Then he was off down the road before his neighbour weeding in her garden had time to blink.

* * *

Jack reached the base in record time. Killing the engine he swiped his card passed the SFs on duty and jogged to the elevator, thumbing the button for Level 27 and the General's office impatiently.

Daniel's phone call had been like a raft. Something to cling to. Not that Jack particularly liked Doctor McKay but if he was on to something, Jack could handle it. It had been three days. Three whole days. Since the disastrous ending to SG1's last mission. That was too long.

Tapping his foot in annoyance as several people boarded at Level 18 Jack ignored some of the curious stares. Was the Stargate now functioning properly? Had they been able to dial the planet?

Relief briefly shot through him as the lift opened on Level 27. Exiting the elevator quickly, Jack traced the well trodden route towards the General's office.

"Jack!"

Whirling around mid stop, Jack spotted Daniel hurrying towards him, a couple of files tucked under his arm.

"Daniel," Jack noted, trying and failing to not sound impatient. "What's the situation?"

Daniel checked his watch, "I only called you fifteen minutes ago," he said surprised, studying the Colonel's dishevelled appearance.

"I hurried here," Jack said as though it were obvious.

"Yes, I can see that from the way your shirt is inside out…" Daniel raised an eyebrow.

Glancing down at his t-shirt under his leather jacket, Jack realised that Daniel was indeed correct. "Damn," he muttered as he followed the archaeologist. No wonder he'd gotten weird looks in the lift…

"Don't worry- come on, McKay is about to try something. Now yes its taken three days for the gate to even begin dialling properly- even though they said it was minimal damage- I don't understand the physics of it- but McKay sounds pretty confident he has the solution," Daniel began to talk quickly as he always did when slightly flustered.

"So?"

"Well, they're going to try dialling the planet and then we'll send a MALP through," Daniel explained. "Then we'll go through."

* * *

The two members of SG1 entered the Control room where Teal'c was already present. He gave Jack a shallow bow, wisely saying nothing as he noticed Jack's state of appearance.

"Colonel O'Neill, glad you could join us," Hammond said from the other side of the Control room where he was standing beside Walter and McKay who were both seated, keyboards rattling as they typed. Various other scientists hovered nervously in the background.

"Forgive me Colonel if I don't stand and greet you personally," McKay said wryly without looking up. "I think you'll find I'm a little busy."

"Just do it," Jack said. Typical McKay. No wonder he and Carter didn't get along. That was what was important this minute. Getting Carter back. There was nothing else at the moment.

"Ready to start the dialling sequence," Walter announced.

"Do it," Hammond said. Below the Control room, SFs were already set up in the Gate room guns pointed at the Stargate.

Jack folded his arms in front of his chest as he watched as the Stargate groan, the circle beginning to rotate as Walter and McKay studied the dialling progress intently on their screens.

"Chevron One is encoded," Walter said as the first chevron lit up a glowing red as it locked into place. The gate then began to spin again.

Jack felt the breath he hadn't realised he was holding escape his lips. The gate was working again. This was the first address they had tried in the three days since the gate had gone down. Everything was going to be fine. Carter would be on the other side. Waiting. As if nothing had happened…

"Chevron Four is encoded," Walter and McKay both seemed pleased at the gate's progress.

Daniel glanced at Jack. Outwardly there was no emotion. In a situation like this Jack was never the one to wear his heart on his sleeve after all. The Colonel was staring stonily through the window, never taking his eyes off the rotating gate and the now six locked chevrons.

"Chevron Seven is…"

* * *

It was still dark. Having taken seven deep, steadying breaths, Sam had opened her eyes again. To her immense disappointment this wasn't all some horribly vivid dream. Oh no, this was real. And it hurt.

"Hello?" Sam croaked.

Was she still by the Gate where she had fallen? The Jaffa! Oh please god was she not captured by the Jaffa. Which System Lord did they serve under? Hopefully one who didn't know her and knew little of Earth.

And her legs! The prickling sensation of tears stung her eyes again. She couldn't feel them…that didn't mean did it? A shot to the back could have damaged her spinal cord. With no medical treatment…everything was over…Sam wanted to scream at the unfairness and pain of it all.

If her legs were gone…that meant no more SG1. They couldn't have a cripple on the team. Perhaps she could persuade them to keep her on base. There was still plenty she could do right? Science and research and all?

_Calm down Sam! _Taking another steadying breath, Sam felt her body relax a fraction. There was no use getting ahead of herself. She had no idea how bad her injury was or where she was for that matter.

At least she could move her arms. Cautiously and painstakingly slowly, she twitched her arms, forcing them to move, feeling around. She was very surprised when they clenched something soft yet scratchy.

Since when did Jaffa put prisoners on blankets?

"Samantha?"

Sam felt her whole body stiffen at that one word. Spoken very quietly somewhere near her right ear. In a very girlish whisper.

"Remmie? Remmie is that you?"

* * *

_(In the Control room)_

"Chevron Seven is…not locked," Walter sounded very confused.

Jack started forwards, feeling as though he had been kicked in the stomach. "What do you mean?" he demanded, moving to stand behind the flustered Master Sergeant.

"What he said- the last chevron won't lock," McKay growled, checking through the diagnostics flying across his screen.

"Well make it work!" Jack demanded.

"I can't just 'make it work'," McKay shot back sarcastically. "This is delicate business, you can't just go in there guns blazing and demand for it to be fixed! You're going to have to wait!"

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged looks. McKay obviously knew how to wind up an already taut Jack O'Neill. This was not going to be particularly pleasant, for the scientist that is.

Not caring that his immediate superior was still present, Jack grabbed McKay, twisting him round to face him. "Look! My Captain is stranded off world with a potential life threatening injury! I will not be calm until we dial that planet and go back and fetch her! So you will damn well get this gate up and running!"

"Colonel," Hammond's voice warned in the background.

Slowly, Jack released the, for once stunned, McKay who readjusted his shirt and started typing again, muttering something under his breath. Jack merely scowled at the back of the man's head.

"Permission to leave sir,"

"Granted. Just stay on the base. I'm sure they'll be more developments very soon," Hammond said deliberately.

"Sir," Jack said, rotating on his heel and leaving the Control room, heading down the stairwell and along through the tunnel corridor, striding passed two other scientists in lab coats who scattered out of his way as he made for the elevator.

"Keep me informed," Hammond sighed, nodding at Walter who nodded back. The General cast his eye over the Gate again before excusing himself and leaving for his office.

"I too have things I must attend to," Teal'c announced.

"I'll keep you informed Teal'c," Daniel promised and the Jaffa inclined his head towards the archaeologist gratefully before departing the room. Soon only Daniel, Walter, McKay and a handful of scientists running simulations behind the three were left in the Control room.

Sighing, Daniel sat himself down in one of the chairs overlooking the Gate room. The SFs had left, leaving only the impressive Gate standing alone in the embarkation room.

"Why is he like that?" McKay suddenly asked, whilst typing, freeing one hand to snatch a clipboard from a nervous scientist, scanning the sheet of diagnostics that had just been printed before giving it back.

"Who, Jack?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Yes. Now I understand how he must feel, a team member stuck on another planet but does he really need to get violent?" McKay tutted.

"Jack is…complicated," Daniel began slowly. "Jack feels responsible for leaving Sam behind. "He's always maintained a 'never leave a man behind' motto and now that Sam is out there somewhere, Jack can't forgive himself until she's back."

"I see," McKay said after a while. "Sergeant Harriman see if you can boost more power to the Gate."

* * *

Jack absentmindedly thumbed a button once in the elevator, leaning back against the wall as the elevator rose. The doors slid open and he casually walked out, before spying the level he was on. Level 19. How in the world had he ended up here? Force of habit he decided, walking along the corridor.

Eventually he arrived at a doorway and cautiously looked in. The hum of computers and gentle whir of monitors reached his ears as he stepped into the empty lab, coloured lights on different pieces of equipment, of which he couldn't possibly guess their purpose, winked at him calmly.

Carter's lab. That's where he had ended up.

Was it really so surprising? His mind had just been on autopilot he mused. Seating himself on one of the swivel chairs he noticed that she'd left out a piece of equipment, all ready to go for a new experiment. There was a small yellow note attached to a scanner. Curious, Jack leant over to read it.

_Felger! Don't think of touching this until I get back! _

_Carter_

Jack smirked. That bumbling scientist never knew whether he was coming or going. The man was socially inept and clumsy. Why were most of the scientists on this base so annoying? Well, Carter wasn't _that _annoying. Unless she was spouting some sort of techno-babble that made his head spin. He'd gotten used to it over the last year though.

_Don't think of touching this until I get back!_

Those words taunted him. Mercilessly. Had he acted more quickly, efficiently, capably…she would be here right now, able to carry out what ever kind of experiment she wanted to.

For all he knew…

A straight staff blast shot to the back. That wasn't something you walked away easily from. Jack grimaced. _When _he got her back- not _if _-but _when _he got her back, he would do everything in his power to make sure she was comfortable. Life changing injury or not.

"_Unsecuduled offworld activation! Incoming traveller!" _

Walter's voice echoed through the SGC, startling Jack from his reverie. For a moment Jack was frozen on the stool. Then the next minute he was pushing himself off the chair, it spinning helplessly behind as the Colonel sprinted from the room, heading for the elevator. He was almost hopping from foot to foot as he waited the small eternity it took for the elevator doors to slide open.

Jumping inside, Jack jabbed the button repeatedly for Level 28, totally ignoring the bewildered look from the SF has he paced the elevator. It couldn't be could it? Damn he hoped it was.

The doors of the elevator were barely open as Jack slipped through, hurrying towards the Control room, taking the stairs three at a time, arriving in a whirl as scientists scattered. Somehow Teal'c had beaten him there. Daniel looked as though he had never left.

"What's going on?" General Hammond's voice demanded as he arrived from his office.

"Offworld activation General," Walter replied as they watched the Stargate dialling.

"It'll be interesting to see if the Gate manages the entire sequence," McKay observed.

"Ah!" Jack warned sharply, "No pessimism here! Don't underestimate Carter- I'm sure she has it figured."

"Closing the iris," Walter said, as the Gate locked on the sixth chevron. Everyone in the Control room held their breaths as the iris swooped shut, waiting as the gate completed its final spin.

"Chevron Seven is locked! Wormhole established!" Walter said, grinning.

"Yes," Jack said quietly, hands clenching into fists at his side. Nothing kept his Captain down for long it seemed.

"Recieving GDO code coming through now," Walter said, as it flashed up on his computer. Jack almost could not bear to watch as the GDO code completed presented itself on the console.

"It's SG-3 sir…"

_SG-3 _Jack felt his shoulders slump. _Damn…_It wasn't from P3X- wherever. SG-3 had been stationed on a week long mission some place else. Of course it was good to have the team back...but...it wasn't the person he wanted to see.

"Opening the iris," Walter said, the exuberance from his voice before, gone. The iris opened and a few moments later SG-3 were clanking down the ramp, Colonel Reynolds at their head.

"Sir," Reynolds nodded to General Hammond as he and his team hit the foot of the ramp. He looked mildly surprised to see so many standing in the Control room, all looking as though they were a kid at their birthday party with their presents taken away. "Something the matter sir?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Welcome home SG-3. Stand down and prepare to debrief in one hour," Hammond acknowledged, leaning into the microphone.

Reynolds nodded again, waving to his team as the blast doors hissed open for them to make their way to the lockers to change. His eyes found Colonel O'Neill. The man had an interesting array of emotions running across his face before a serene mask was once again in place. Shrugging, the Colonel left the Gate room, looking forward to a nice shower.

"Jack," Daniel said softly as the gate disengaged.

Jack didn't even bother to look at the archaeologist.

"Jack- at least we know the gate works now," Daniel pressed, trying to get some reaction from the withdrawn man. He had seen the hope glinting in the Colonel's eyes as he had arrived.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure the only reason why the Gate wasn't working when we tried dialling P3X- 924 is because there's something wrong on their side," McKay piped up, scanning yet more data presented to him on a clipboard. "The Gate works perfectly fine with any other address."

"Inform me if you have anything new," Hammond said, casting an eye over his subdued Colonel. "I'll be debriefing SG-3."

"Yes General," Walter said quietly.

The three members of SG-1 stayed rooted to the spot as the General left. One member desperately wanted to say something, but knew his chances of getting anything out would be shot down immediately by the other.

Eventually Teal'c broke the silence. "I believe Captain Carter to be a resourceful woman. She will be able to work out what is wrong," he said.

"I hope so Teal'c," Daniel gave a small smile.

"Yeah, well," Jack muttered. "I'll be in my office,"

Daniel and Teal'c both watched the Colonel leave, with a millionth of the enthusiasm he had shown upon entering the Control room. Daniel turned back to look at the Stargate. "I hope wherever she is, Sam's okay," he said quietly, Teal'c moving to stand by his side as the lights of the various computers in the Control room winked slowly on and off in the semi-darkness.

* * *

**Poor Jack... *sniff* maybe it will get better for him soon :)**

**As always I love hearing your comments and reviews! Thanks for sticking with the story! I'm pretty busy next week- I have a pampering photo shoot :D eep so excited! Also visiting my new baby cousin who was born yesterday on July 17th! So maybe Wednesday? Thursday? Sorry it will take that long. Maybe I'll surprise you and get it up sooner! Haha**

**AldabaranFox**


	5. Chapter 5

**Phew- busy week! Sorry I haven't updated sooner. Busy plus this chapter was a nightmare to write. Sam's character wouldn't sit right, no matter how hard I tried. *sad* this chapter is also a lot slower with less going on. Need some action to come back!**

**Also found out that there's been difficulty for some accessing chapters. I am as baffled as you. Hopefully everything is back to normal? PM if there is still a problem. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll try to figure something out!**

**Hopefully this chapters alright! Amazing how eating a Cornetto ice cream inspires the muse :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5- On the other Side**

"Remmie? Is that you?" Sam spoke again to the darkness. She was going mad. The pain had forced her brain to accept something that wasn't really there as a last ditch effort for comfort.

"Samantha? You're awake?" the girlish whisper spoke near her ear again.

"Yes. I'm awake," Sam kept the tremble from her voice. God this was difficult. But she was strong, a soldier, she could and _would_ persevere. Her mind was already flicking through the various options she could take. Yes she was wounded but if she was with Remmie…

Then she felt a small hand ghost across her face, gently pushing strands of blonde hair away from her sweat-ridden forehead. As soon as Sam felt it, the touch was gone. There were other voices, hushed. Sam couldn't make them out, however hard she tried.

Then, very gently, the area began to light up, gradually, as if it knew that any sudden burst of light would send pain flaring through her retinas. A small candle had been lit. It was dim, but Sam could make out the form of a little girl kneeling beside her.

"Samantha?" Remmie was indeed kneeling beside her, small arm outstretched, hand laid upon her brow.

"Remmie where am I?" Sam asked.

"You are safe," Remmie's innocent voice lulled Sam gently.

More accustomed now to the light, Sam managed to turn her head from where she was lying on her front, hissing slightly as more pain burned in her back. She was actually on the floor, on top of many blankets and cushions.

"_Where_ am I?" Sam tried again.

"Home," Remmie replied as though it was obvious.

It took Sam's overtaxed mind to work out that Remmie meant _her _home. This wasn't the SGC and what would Remmie be doing at the SGC anyway? The only conclusion had scattered mind could make was that she was back in the Malorion village.

Another voice rose up behind them and Sam started in surprise, biting down on the curse that surged from within her. Remmie soothed before standing and walking away. Sam couldn't raise her head so had to settle for watching the little girl's bare feet pad away. A few minutes passed before the feet turned and came back, the girl settling herself beside Sam.

"They want to know…how you feel." Remmie asked.

Sam didn't think she had ever heard the little girl say so much in one go before- and a small laugh, despite the situation bubbled to the surface before she grimaced at the slight movement. "Sore," Sam admitted, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Two more pairs of feet were padding over, they had sandals on. They were older women over the village. Gently crooning, they began to check Sam's back, all the while soothing, Remmie's hand finding Sam's.

"Why aren't I dead?" Sam asked quietly, almost to herself. "My legs…"

"They saved you," Remmie announced. "I would be sad…if you were dead. You were hit in the back. Painful. They gave you a drink that made you go all floppy so they could heal you. Legs come back soon." she sounded cheerful.

Relief crashed through Sam, almost taking away her breath. It was a sedative. The Molarion women must have given her some sort of sedative whilst they had treated her back and it was yet to wear off. That would explain the strange sensation in her fingertips.

"We were attacked," Sam managed, gasping in surprise as something cool was laid on her wound. The whole village could be in danger- if the Jaffa found out where they were…

"I saw," Remmie agreed.

"Your village…is it safe?" Sam tried again, battling against the sleep that threatened to drag her down again. Such a simple conversation had drained her of the little energy she had stored.

"The bad men aren't here," Remmie whispered as Sam slipped under, blue eyes sliding shut. "You're safe."

* * *

_(Back at the SGC- Earth)_

There is only so much spinning of a yo-yo you can really do before complete boredom sets in. Jack was well past that stage. Having dragged himself to his office after SG-3 had arrived back; he'd fished around in his desk draws for something, anything to take his mind off of present events. The trusty yo-yo had been the first thing he'd grabbed.

Now it sat on his desk, completely ignored.

He had tried to look for something else to distract his mind. Jack's eyes had fallen upon the growing stack of reports and paper work he had just…accumulated. Hammond would be asking for them soon.

So he'd tried looking over some reports.

It hadn't worked.

Then he tried juggling the ripped and screwed up pieces of paper of said half-finished reports.

That had grown dull too.

Jack stood up for what was the twentieth time in the last five minutes. He could not just sit here. He had to do something. He had never been a very patient man- get up and do was his preferred method of action. Now there was _nothing _he could do.

It all seemed to rest in the hands of his Captain, stranded off-world.

That was if she was still alive.

Ruthlessly, Jack crushed that thought as soon as it formed. Of course she was alive. There couldn't be any other option. Carter was strong, capable and tough. A hit to the back, surely she could handle something like that, right? SG-1 would continue- as they had done. Face challenges, overcome challenges, move on.

McKay had briefed Hammond. His findings had not been very optimistic. There was _nothing _wrong with the Gate on their side, checks and scans and diagnostics had been run…then re-run to prove the same thing. SG-3's arrival had proven that already as had subsequent diallings out to check up on other SG teams off-world. There was something wrong with the Gate on P3X-924. It was up to Carter to get herself home.

Not that Jack didn't trust his Captain's abilities. He'd seen her do some remarkable things in the last year alone. He just hoped she could pull something out of the bag with this one.

There was a knock on the door. Jack looked up to see Daniel peering round. Slumping back into his chair, Jack waved the hesitant archaeologist in, wincing slightly as he jostled his side. Throughout the whole time when McKay and Walter had been firing up the Gate for the first time since Carter's disappearance, Jack had ignored the irritating ache in his side. Running up those stairs had ached plenty but ignoring- that had been easy.

Of course, Fraiser hadn't been too pleased he'd been skipping on his pain medication. How did that woman _always _seem to know when he wasn't following her orders? She had hunted him down and dragged him back to the infirmary- just for a check up.

Cautiously, the CMO had broached the subject about Sam. Jack had snapped back that he didn't want to talk about it and immediately felt slightly guilty. Janet was Carter's friend too. She was Daniel and Teal'c's too…

"Yes Daniel?" Jack said impatiently, waiting for Daniel to say something.

"Er, right," Daniel began, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I was wondering if you were hungry- I haven't seen you eat since you got back on the base, I was just about to go to the commissary…"

"What are you my mom?" Jack muttered, just as his stomach rumbled. It was a sore point but Jack agreed with the man. He _was _hungry. Grumbling, he stood up and followed his team mate out of his office, towards the elevator.

The commissary was quiet as Jack and Daniel entered, the doors swinging shut behind them. A few SFs were eating, as were a couple of members of SG-3 having finished their debriefing. Jack spotted Teal'c already there, sitting alone at a table, digging in with quiet gusto as he usually did with food. Jack slid into a chair opposite the Jaffa.

"Anything good T?" Jack swept an eye over Teal'c's loaded tray.

Teal'c slowly put down his cutlery. Jack realised he had made a classic mistake: distracting a hungry Jaffa from his food.

"At first when I was informed that 'Toad in the Hole' was being served, I thought it was another one of your Earth jokes I was not aware of," Teal'c began stoically. "Apparently it is a traditional English dish. It is most satisfying O'Neill."

"I see," Jack said, raising an eyebrow as Teal'c didn't pause to talk any further but continued to eat.

Daniel arrived back with two trays of food, passing one over to Jack. "I was thinking," Daniel began, picking up his fork.

Jack glanced sideways at the man. _Would that be considered a good or a bad sign?_ He wondered to himself.

Daniel obviously picked up on the look that crossed Jack's face. "Yes, very funny," he amended hastily, "but what if we gated to another planet, say one near P3X-924 and then tried the planet again? It would certainly rule out that it's not our gate that's the problem."

"Why didn't McKay think of that?" Jack asked.

"I believe Doctor McKay is busy trying to theorise why the gate on P3X-924 will not connect to our Stargate," Teal'c said, finishing his main course, before reaching forward for his desert.

"Right," Jack drawled. He twirled his fork slowly in one hand. He wondered whether Carter had anything to eat.

* * *

_(P3X-924)_

A few hours later and Sam had awoken again. She had talked with one of the elder women, who spoke English well. The woman had confirmed what Sam had suspected about the sedative- apparently it was a plant derivative. The scientist in Sam was immediately sparked with curiosity, whilst the solider demanded to know more information about the situation.

It was a lengthy process, but eventually the women healers and the watchful Remmie managed to get Sam into a sitting position. Her back injury, whilst sore had been mercifully deflected by her backpack-the staff blast only catching the skin to the side of the pack. There was a large burnt hole in the bag she noted once it had been brought to her.

However, that didn't mean it wasn't painful. Small movements sent sparks up her spine. Walking was still out of the question but at least she could feel her toes and wiggle them. The relief had made her momentarily dizzy when Remmie had informed her earlier.

Now came the nagging problem. Where was the rest of SG-1? The Colonel? Daniel? Teal'c? She struggled to remember what had happened. From what she had pieced together from Remmie's information, she had been asleep on and off for nearly three days, waking sporadically before the pain had overwhelmed her. What she wouldn't do for some of Janet's pain meds…

"_Carter!" _

_Sam heard the Colonel's yell of her name above the explosions. She couldn't quite identify the emotion present in it, too busy with the encroaching staff blasts which were becoming more accurate as the Jaffa approached. Her position was vulnerable; his beside the Stargate was too. _

"_Sir!" Sam shouted back, torn between looking at her superior officer and Remmie, "We can't just leave her!" her heart was hammering. God, this was just like with Cass over again. She couldn't do it, Remmie was innocent- didn't deserve to get caught up in all this bloodshed and fighting._

"_Dammit Carter- those Jaffa are getting close!" he was pointing out the obvious, brows drawn together in frustration. Sam watched as the conflicting emotions raced across his face. She turned back to look at Remmie, talking earnestly, gesturing to the forest. Remmie nodded. The girl needed to hide. Get back to the village._

_Sam watched as Remmie slipped away into the forest, looking back only once to nod again before scampering away into the undergrowth, thankfully in the opposite direction, away from the oncoming fire. She lingered a little longer, making sure the child had gone. _

"_C'mon Carter! Today!" she heard the Colonel yell at her again._

_She rose swiftly, ducking as she ran, minding the staff blasts. _

_Suddenly, pain, the likes she had never felt before, erupted in her back. Instantly Sam knew what had happened as all control slipped from her grasp. She felt herself stumbling forwards, unable to control her descent; she crashed to her knees, the pain reverberating unbearably from the tips of her fingers and toes right to her chest. _

_Her eyes widened of their own accord as she hit the ground, looking up to see the Stargate and her Colonel waiting by it. Regret swooped through her, almost numbing the pain. Then it was fear, loss…an overwhelming sense of loss. She had taken a staff blast to the back, there was no way she would survive it._

_Glancing upwards as time seemed to slow down, she caught sight of the Colonel's face. It was slack in horror; his eyes were wide, mouth open, yelling something. Reading his lips, her brain fuzzy and sight dimming…he was shouting her name…_

_Sir…she didn't even have the strength to call out to him._

_So this was how it was going to end…dying on some remote world, far away from family and friends…_

_Then a bright flash of orange was shooting past her, slamming into the Colonel even as he moved towards her. Her heart suddenly clenched and all her own pain was forgotten- he'd been hit! God! Jack! NO!_

_There was nothing she could do as she sprawled forward onto the bracken, the fall knocking the wind from her body. For a moment the only thing on her mind was that of the Colonel's face- the shock and panic- then the pain as he had been hit. _

_It was her fault…_

_All her fault…_

_Sir…_

_Everything had gone black…_

With a jolt, Sam withdrew from her memories, the emotions still washing over her. The Colonel- was it serious? Where was he? She couldn't remember anything after she had landed face down on the ground. Was he here?

"Remmie?" Sam called out. The small one room hut she was in was empty apart from herself. Wooden furniture was scattered about, a neatly carved table with three stools, a cupboard with pottery plates, cups and jugs.

The door to the hut opened with a creak and bright sunshine flooded the room for a minute, some of the light falling on Sam's face. The warmth lifted her spirits slightly. Remmie appeared- a smile on the cherub cheeks as she walked over.

"Samantha," she acknowledged, holding out a small white flower.

Sam smiled, gratefully accepting the little gift from the girl, studying the delicate petals. "Remmie, where's the Colonel? Jack O'Neill? Tall man- brown greyish hair- my 'boss'," she remembered introducing the two.

Remmie frowned. "Not here," she stated.

Sam's heart sank. Not here? Then where was he? This was getting more confusing by the minute. The Jaffa had mysteriously disappeared- having not found the village. She was here with the Molarion. The Colonel was not.

"He fell through the water," Remmie explained, tilting her head to gauge the older woman's reaction. The little girl had sensed her older friend's sorrow at her words and hoped to make up for them.

The Colonel had gone back through the Stargate? Sam tried to concentrate. Of course- the velocity of the staff blast and the angle, momentum…would have sent him backwards…through the Stargate- he was standing close enough. It was possible, she guessed.

He was safe then. That was all that mattered. He would be well looked after in the SGC, Sam had every confidence in Janet the CMO. Her friend would not give up on anyone under her care.

If Jack had gotten back to the SGC, why hadn't she? Surely she hadn't…been left behind? The thought nagged at Sam continuously. Colonel O'Neill would never leave any of SG-1 behind- he had told her so himself- he never left a man behind. Something his black ops training had instilled in him.

Still, here she was, without the rest of the team.

Sam quietened her mind with great difficulty. She needed to concentrate on recovering. As soon as she could walk she would head back to the Stargate and dial home. Tell them she was still here, alive and kicking.

That was her plan.

* * *

_(Back at the SGC)_

SG-1 was still grounded. Gate was working- life at the SGC continued as usual as teams headed through the Stargate for unknown planets. Jack seemed to walk past everything.

He could feel the questioning gazes behind his back. Staff about the base had learned that Captain Carter had been lost on a mission. When Jack heard this, he had stressed to the three scientists he had overheard that Carter was not _lost _and that he and his team of course _would _find her.

Jack wanted SG1 back to normal. All four members. Without their female scientist and Captain everything just felt wrong…

* * *

**This was difficult to write. So will the next few sadly. I need to kick my muse into action as well as this story line. I can't let you guys down after all :D **

**Hope you enjoyed- please review :D**

**AldabaranFox**


	6. Chapter 6

**Howdy :) This chapter was easier to write than I had anticipated. Perhaps that was due to the tub of Ben&Jerry's ice cream I ate before sitting down to write it! Haha. Now I have a plan for the rest of the story! The things ice cream will do for you!**

**Thanks for Ceph who has been encouraging all the way :) and to dp because I can't PM you my thanks! You're wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: Neglected for the last few chapters but nothings changed here- I own nothing :)**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Well on the Road to Recovery**

_(P3X 924)_

Sam stood by the Stargate.

The walk from the village had drained more energy then she wished and her back was beginning to protest. Nevertheless, she had made it- in one piece and under her own steam- also under the scrutinising gaze of the Remmie who stood by her side.

She could hardly believe that she had made it to the Gate at all. Of course- yesterday she had been in bed- barely able to lift a finger without excruciating pain rocketing up and down her spine.

Sam simply could not explain it as she thought back to that morning when she first realised.

_Sam heard something. Her field training immediately kicked in, honed especially over the last year and a half with SG-1. Within moments she was wide awake, groping for her P90 which was usually close beside her bedroll. _

_Something spiked in her heart when her hand closed around empty space. More alert now, Sam forced her eyes open wide and then blinked in surprise. She wasn't on a mission. Memories and events of the last few days flooded her mind. Nope, she was still on P3X 924. Alone. Allowing her body to relax, she slumped back on to the soft bed._

_Then immediately she froze._

_She had moved, freely. Nothing but a dull ache had spread along her back as she had reached for the non-existent weapon. She frowned, brows drawing together. Yesterday she had barely been able to move for the pain that had shot up and down her spine at the simplest of movements._

"_Their medical understanding must be amazing," she spoke to herself as she lay on the bed, gently moving her arms, amazed how the pain had receded. "I must have a look later."_

"_Samantha," Remmie was entering the small wooden house, bringing another fresh white flower as she had done the day before. "You are better?" As the light entered the hut, Sam barely squinted though from the strength of the warm sunshine hitting her arm it was well into the day. This was all astonishing._

"_Much better," Sam said, still shocked. "My back barely hurts," she admitted._

_Remmie presented the flower to Sam, "That is good then," she said, setting down the floor beside the Captain. "Are you able to stand?" _

_Sam blinked. Sure, she could give it a go. Carefully, she moved her arms to support her weight as by herself she managed to push herself up onto her knees with only minor protests from her back. She turned to stare at Remmie eyes wide. The girl wore a big smile._

"_Remmie, you village's medicine is astounding," Sam said, trying to crane round and check her back. "Yesterday I could barely move- and today- well look!" Shakily, Sam was standing, legs struggling to keep her body upright, but she was upright- unsupported. _

_Remmie smiled. "You are better," she stated. "Your clothes," she lifted Sam's green jacket off of the floor. "The women washed it for you. They sewed it too." _

_Sam gently took the jacket off of the little girl, amazed at the kindness and generosity of her hosts. "Thank you," she ruffled the little girl's brown cherub like curls before slipping the SGC issued jacket over her shoulders._

_Her back barely twinged._

_Remmie smiled again, little dimples appearing._

_As Sam felt better, the overwhelming need for fresh air sent the two outside. Sam blinked once in the bright sunshine as Remmie carefully picked her way down the small wooden steps from the house, before standing at Sam's side._

"What are you going to do?" Remmie asked staring at the Stargate with round eyes.

"It's a Stargate, I'm going to dial it up," Sam explained, walking painstakingly slowly across the clearing towards the DHD. "You see this is called a DHD- a dial home device," she patted it as Remmie advanced towards her. "I press these symbols in a certain order and an interconnecting wormhole-" here Sam paused as she glanced sideways at Remmie.

The little girl simply tilted her head, observing Sam.

"As I was saying- I can get home this way," Sam continued, realising she had overcomplicated things for the child. "Sorry."

"Will it work?" the child asked cautiously.

"It should," Sam said, pressing down on the first glyph. Her heart nearly sang as she heard the Stargate to the side of them beginning to start its dial up procedure, the giant ring rotating, the first chevron locking into place.

"You travel through these?" Remmie inquired, her child like curiosity getting the better of her.

Sam nodded. "Yes. My team and I are one of many- we go through the Stargate and explore new worlds." She pressed the third symbol; the third chevron locked red, firmly in place.

"Why have the others not come back for you?"

Sam paused, her hand falling still above the sixth symbol. That was a very good question. Why had she not thought of that before? She was getting slow- a mere child was picking up on things before she was. "They can't believe I am dead can they?" she muttered to herself.

Colonel O'Neill surely wouldn't just give up? Would he? Daniel or Teal'c would try to do something wouldn't they?

It didn't matter, she realised- just so long as she could gate home.

Satisfied, Sam hit the last symbol for Earth. Turning, she looked at the gate, ready for the blue eruption of the event horizon and wormhole forming to appear, almost comfortingly.

Nothing happened.

The Gate stayed stubbornly on the sixth chevron.

Alarm bells began to ring in Sam's mind. She could almost hear Walter's voice saying the last chevron wouldn't engage; see the confused and maybe panicked faces of the scientists in the Control room. She pressed on the symbol for Earth again. Still nothing. The gate was refusing to lock on the Seventh chevron. "Dammit," Sam muttered.

Remmie looked at Sam, confused. "Is it not working?"

"No it isn't," Sam replied slowly, running a hand through her blonde hair in frustration. "The last chevron isn't locking into place so the wormhole won't form…"

* * *

_(Earth- SGC)_

Jack was officially fed up. He was past the bored stage. That had been yesterday. Arriving on base this morning, he was thoroughly fed up- resulting in him snapping at a group of scientists dawdling in the corridor, discussing some sort of crazy sounding device that Jack did not want to overhear anything about but just wanted to get damn past them!

He sighed, curbing the mini rant in his mind, exhaling as he reached the quiet of the elevator, thumbing the button to Level 27.

Then the elevator stopped with a gentle bump and the doors slid open.

"Colonel,"

"General," Jack nodded as General Hammond entered the elevator, moving to stand beside the younger man. "Going my way?" he asked, fingering hovering above the Level 27 key.

Hammond nodded curtly, eyeing the Colonel beside him. "I've still heard nothing from Doctor McKay," he said heavily as if guessing the younger man's question.

"I know General," Jack stuck his hands deep into his green BDU trouser pockets, resisting the urge to rock back on his heels. He stared straight ahead, watching the red numbers indicating floor level change. "No news is good news though? Means McKay is actually working on something."

Silence filled the elevator. Jack was glad no one else had chosen to get in.

The elevator doors opened and the two men stepped out, walking down the corridor side by side, an SF watching them walk past as they entered the Briefing room together.

Teal'c was sitting at the conference table, eyes shut, hands folded on the table in front of him. Daniel was by the window, gazing down at the Stargate. General Hammond had a strange feeling of déjà vu sweeping over him.

"Please sit gentlemen," he indicated to the chairs as he slid into the one at the head of the table. Daniel and Jack both sat, surveying the General. Teal'c opened his eyes as proceedings started.

"Now, the reason I've called you all here is to tell you that I'm putting SG-1 back on active duty," Hammond announced, eyes flicking from man to man sitting in front of him.

"Oh really?" Daniel Jackson asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Even without finding…" he broke off.

"I've discussed this with Doctor Fraiser and we both believe that whilst the scientists focus on trying to dial the P3X 924 gate, SG-1 should return to duty," Hammond said evenly, passing out three folders filled with notes.

Daniel took his immediately, flicking through it with interest.

George Hammond had expected the slight widening of the Colonel's eyes as the officer registered surprise at his comment before everything was smooth and emotionless again. He hadn't touched his file.

"Whatever you wish General," Jack said, looking at his hands clasped together on the table.

Teal'c nodded his agreement.

"SG-11 is currently on a mission to P2R 352," Hammond said. "They reported back yesterday about the finding of a destroyed civilisation and have requested Doctor Jackson's help in translating some tablets they found. It would be good if the rest of SG-1 would go also."

Daniel perked up at this news. "Of course General,"

"You leave at fifteen hundred hours then," General Hammond said, rising from the table. "Dismissed."

Jack stood as the General left, Teal'c and Daniel also standing, chairs pushing out behind them. Daniel picked up his file.

"I'm going to go read up on the initial report by SG-11. I'll see you guys in the Gateroom," he said, exiting the room.

Teal'c glanced across at Jack, watching as the other man continued to stare down at the table. Finally, the Jaffa spoke. "I do not believe that Captain Carter is being forgotten O'Neill," he said.

Jack glanced sideways at Teal'c. "Yeah," he replied softly.

"Doctor McKay and his team are working hard," Teal'c continued.

"I know T," Jack said.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow slowly. Having nothing else to say, he inclined his head and followed Daniel out of the Briefing room.

* * *

_(In the Gateroom fifteen hundred hours)_

"SG-1 you have a go," General Hammond said into the microphone from the Control room, Walter watching the proceedings, the rippling form of the Stargate shimmering in front of him at the other end of the Gateroom. "You'll meet SG-11 three clicks from the Gate."

"Move it out," Jack said, indicating to the Gate, Daniel and Teal'c following him as the rest of the Control room watched the three members of SG-1 pass through the gate. A few seconds later and the wormhole disintegrated.

Jack was first through the gate, stepping out onto the rocky platform the gate of P2R 352, adjusting his cap as he ambled slowly down, P90 ready just in case. He heard the wormhole ripple behind him.

"Alright Carter take-"

Turning round, Jack realised it was Daniel stepping through the gate. The Colonel cleared his throat. Damn. It was routine- step through the gate, issue orders to Carter, set up a perimeter and start off on the new planet.

Now he was without his second in command. The whole thing just felt…well, wrong somehow. As if the team was unbalanced. That and there was no one to spout techno babble at him. Somehow he missed that too.

"Right…Teal'c take point. I'll radio SG-11 as we go, see what they're up to. Daniel, let's go," he motioned to the archaeologist who was still beside the now inactive Stargate.

A brisk three minute walk and SG-1 found the site SG-11 had set up, in the midst of a large circular area of ruins.

"Phew, looks like this place was ransacked," Jack observed. The destruction was complete, where once buildings would have stood, all that was left was rubble and broken stone and brick. The foundations of buildings were all that was left. Great scorch marks marred the ground, craters gouged out, the earth was blackened and ash like.

Stepping over a large block of stone, Jack walked towards Colonel Edwards, the leader. "What have we here?"

Colonel Edwards nodded to Jack. "We came across this area the other day. Seems like the Lieutenant believes this was all recent," he waved a hand casually over the ruined encampment.

Teal'c was examining some of the demolished buildings. "It appears this area suffered a heavy bombardment," he straightened up to look at Jack.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You think it could be…?"

"It is very like the Goa'uld to destroy civilisations from space. The complete destruction here could be the work of a Goa'uld System Lord wiping out a potential threat he thought resided on this planet," Teal'c agreed.

Daniel was immediately enthralled, setting down his pack and rummaging through it, pulling out some of his equipment and a notebook. Two members of SG-11 were already examining some of the ruins.

"This damage looks recent," Daniel said, brushing a hand over the stone.

"We believe it may have occurred within the last two weeks, but the rocks are thousands of years old," Lieutenant Ritter replied, taking photos of the demolished buildings. "This must once have been a great society."

Daniel nodded, "You said there was writing? On tablets?"

Ritter nodded, handing over one of the stone tablets carefully to Daniel who propped it up against a column of stone, examining it intently, running his fingers over the carved writing.

"I've never seen anything like this," Daniel said, as he and the lieutenant studied it. "It looks similar to some languages back on Earth…I would need to cross reference it when we get back to the SGC…" For the next hour Daniel and Ritter catalogued various buildings, ruins and tablets they could find, Daniel noting them down and taking photographs of each piece.

Having arrived back from a brief scout around the area with Major Lorne, Colonel Edwards turned to Jack, having surveyed the group of archaeologists studying the ruins. "Aren't you missing someone?" he asked, only counting three members of Jack's team, including Jack. "Where's Captain Carter?"

Jack glanced at Edwards. "She's on P3X 924," he replied curtly.

Edwards raised an eyebrow. "I see." He could tell the other Colonel was in no mood to talk about it. Looked like a sore spot. And from the scowl the Jaffa was currently shooting him with, Edwards wisely let the subject drop.

Already bored, Jack paced the perimeter of the destroyed encampment, keeping a close watch on the surrounding area. If the Goa'uld had destroyed this civilisation, then they could still be here.

An orange shot exploded a few feet from Teal'c.

"Get down!" Jack yelled the order, as Daniel and Lieutenant Ritter glanced up in surprise. More shots flew out of the trees, forcing Jack to vault over a fallen column, crouching down behind it for cover, Teal'c on his left, staff weapon primed.

"What can you see Teal'c?" Jack demanded.

"They have at least three positions," Teal'c replied, raising his upper body slightly to fire over the stone. SG-11 had dropped their equipment and were crouching behind other pieces of masonry, weapons ready.

"Alright," Jack said, returning fire briefly. "I suggest we head back to the Gate."

"But Jack- the ruins-" Daniel broke in from his left a couple of metres away as shots exploded around them, sending dirt and broken chips of stone showering down upon the two SG teams.

"No buts Daniel!" Jack snapped back. "We're leaving!" Raising a hand he signalled to Edwards who was holed in on the other side of the camp. Edwards caught his signing and nodded grimly, before firing back and running, bent nearly over double towards them, stopping at brief points as staff blasts peppered the ground.

"This is getting too familiar," Jack grumbled, peering out over the column of rock.

"I concur," Teal'c fired another shot at the trees only to have several shots returned.

"Okay- Edwards, lead the way to the Gate, we'll cover you. Daniel come on!" Jack rounded on the archaeologist who was busy packing the tablet into his bag, nodding quickly, glasses almost askew.

Edwards in the lead, Ritter close behind, SG-11 left the ruins, equipment hastily packed away. Jack cursed. Archaeologists. Couldn't they just leave the equipment behind? What use would a Goa'uld have for a map elevation recorder? Jack couldn't figure it out. Couldn't quite see ol' Apophis having any use for one of those…

"Right T, our turn," he said, sending back a volley of fire as Teal'c rose, still bent over and they left the ruins behind them, running for the Gate, just as a dozen Jaffa broke cover from the trees.

* * *

_(SGC- Gateroom)_

"Unscheduled offworld activation- incoming travellers," Walter announced as the claxons began to sound around the base.

Hammond was out of his office as soon as he heard the voice. Hurrying down the spiral staircase he stood behind Walter as the gate continued to dial and a wormhole engaged behind the closed iris.

"Receiving GDO," Walter said as it flashed up on his screen. "It's SG-11 sir," he looked puzzled. "SG-1 only left two hours ago…"

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered.

Moments later SG-1 and SG-11 were clanking down the ramp and Jack was yelling to Walter to close the iris. Several dull thuds echoed on the trinium-titanium alloy just as it slid shut.

"What was that?" Hammond demanded.

"Sir, we were found by more Goa'uld," Jack said, unclipping his P90, looking up at the Control Room.

"Again Colonel?" Hammond asked.

"Again sir," Jack raised a hand in exasperation, glancing back as Colonel Edwards and Teal'c helped a limping Ritter down the ramp. The Lieutenant had twisted an ankle trying to carry all of the equipment back through the Gate. Jack raised an eyebrow as they went past, medics already entering the Gateroom. What had he said earlier?

"Alright. Stand down for now. Debriefing in my office in an hour," Hammond ordered as Daniel ran a hand through his hair.

"Right," Jack nodded, clattering off the end of the ramp, followed by Teal'c having given his charge over to the medics. Daniel brought up the rear as they headed to the locker rooms to shower and change.

* * *

_(P3X 924)_

"Samantha?"

Sam glanced down at the little girl who was sitting on the clearing floor, watching as the Captain struggled to work out why the Gate wasn't working. So far she had opened up a panel in the DHD, exploring the inner circuitry, muttering to herself as she did so.

"I'm tired," Remmie said.

Sam put down the two ends of the wires she was attempting to cross and slowly walked over to the young girl. "It is getting late I suppose," she said, looking at the way the sun…was only just reaching its zenith. It couldn't be passed noon. "Have you not been sleeping well?"

"I am just tired," Remmie repeated.

Studying the child more closely, Sam noticed the dark circles beneath the wide childish eyes, a stark contrast to the pale face framed by soft curls. Carefully, she knelt by Remmie, mindful of her twinging back and put a hand to the child's forehead. It was slightly warm.

"Maybe we should head back to the village," Sam suggested. "You need to sleep."

Remmie nodded tiredly.

Sam rose, glancing ruefully back at the partially dismantled DHD. She would come back later to study it. Right now, Remmie needed to sleep. She held out a hand and smiled when the small fingers wrapped around her own larger ones.

"Tired Samantha," Remmie muttered, swaying on her feet, eyes closing.

Alarmed, Sam caught the child before she fell, supporting her head as she knelt again. Resting her fingers to Remmie's neck she was relieved to find a steady pulse beneath her fingertips. "It's okay," Sam soothed the child. "Let's get you back to the village."

Cautiously, Sam lifted the young girl, surprised to find that Remmie weighed barely anything in her arms. With her charge safely tucked up in her arms, Sam picked her way back along the dirt path heading back for the village.

* * *

**Everything is now on a roll- I know where I am headed! **

**Poor Remmie...anyway- I am so glad many of you like her- I hoped she wouldn't come across an annoying little kid but a cute innocent thing that she is :)**

**Please review- it's going to get WAY more exciting! I'm excited- so I've written the next chapter already! That'll be up by Tuesday :)**

**AldabaranFox**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey :D Chapter 7 on time! Yay! Bit later than planned as I was dragged off to the cinema to see Toy Story 3- which was awesome actually- not expecting that anyway!**

**Thanks to dp and Jill my anon. reviewers :D very glad both of you are enjoying the story. dp you're amazing at deduction but I won't say whether you're right or not :P Jill- this is AU- though I probably should have set it as a major...captain sort of slipped out in the second chapter...oops lol.**

**All enjoy- next chapter by Sunday :D**

* * *

**Chapter 7-Not All as it Seems**

_(P3X 924)_

Arriving back at the village, Sam carried Remmie towards the wooden house she had been staying in, walking across the threshold and setting the tiny girl down on the bed she had been occupying not hours before. The girl lay limp on the covers, unmoving.

"Remmie," one of the elder women had entered the house upon seeing Sam carrying in the little girl. Shuffling over, the woman put a hand to the girl's forehead, tutting through her teeth as she felt the warmth.

"I think she has the beginnings over a fever," Sam told the woman. "Drowsiness, a high temperature- they could all be symptoms."

The woman looked strangely at Sam, as though she did not understand what the blonde Captain had just said. She left the house briefly, leaving Sam alone with the sleeping child, before returning with a bucket of water and a rag, which she proceeded to dab Remmie's forehead with.

Sam watched all this in silence. What had brought on the sudden temperature? Had the young girl really just caught a fever? She stroked back a few of the brown curls from the hot forehead.

A sudden thought came to the Airforce officer. Was this what it felt like to worry about children? She had never really been around kids much- sure Cassie...but this felt different somehow. If she was able to lead a normal life with kids and a husband...forget it.

How could she say "Honey- I'm just off to work at the mountain where underneath is a secret base where I travel to other planets!" Somehow that probably won't go down well, with any prospective partner _or _National Security...

* * *

_(Earth- SGC- Briefing Room)_

"Like I said General, the presence of Goa'uld on the planet makes it far more likely to presume that the Goa'uld did indeed wipe out this civilisation, as Teal'c mentioned, from space in one of their mother ships," Daniel said, as the debriefing continued.

"Have you learned anything yet from the tablets?" Hammond asked, indicating to the stone tablets on the table.

"Well," Daniel began, scratching his head. "From what Lieutenant Ritter and I were able to work out, I believe that it tells of the civilisation- it's like their history. Er, uh, let's see… it talks here about there being a very old race, dating back thousands of years. Then it goes on to say how this race was very in tune to the 'inner spirit'…we have yet to work out what that really means…" he trailed off.

"Well keep on it," Hammond said, speaking overly loud as if to keep Colonel O'Neill sitting on his left awake. The Colonel never did manage to maintain a level of concentration during the archaeologist's talks.

"Any news sir?" Jack asked.

"None, I'm afraid-"

"Unscheduled Gate activation," Walter's voice interrupted the conversation as it came over the comm. system. Jack looked a lot more alert as the red claxons began to go off again.

Hammond rose, "Dismissed until later," he informed SG-1 and SG-11.

Colonel Edwards nodded, saluting as General Hammond walked past. Jack nodded to the other Colonel before following General Hammond towards the spiral staircase leading down to the Control room where Walter was in charge.

"GDO coming through sir, it's Master Bra'tac," Walter sounded surprised and opened the iris after Hammond instructed him to do so.

The iris swung open just as Teal'c arrived in the Control room. He looked pleased as his master walked stately down the ramp; cloak tucked over one arm, staff weapon used as a walking aid as he reached the bottom of the ramp.

"Hammond of Texas," Bra'tac acknowledged as General Hammond, Jack, Teal'c and Daniel appeared in the Gateroom. "Teal'c," he clasped forearms with the younger Jaffa, who inclined his head, a small smile on his face.

"So, what brings you to the neighbourhood?" Jack asked, hands in his pockets, putting on a jovial stance in welcoming the Jaffa Master.

Bra'tac looked grave. "My news contains details of Apophis. My men and I have discovered Apophis is… up to something again," he said as Hammond indicated they make for the Briefing room again, the wormhole dissipating behind them as they left. "I believe that it would be beneficial if this news was shared."

"Ah, Master Bra'tac, now ya see- Apophis is _always _up to _something_," Jack raised an eyebrow as they took their seats.

Bra'tac nodded, considering Jack's statement. His eyes swept the table and he noticed that only men were present. "Where is the woman usually part of your team?" he asked. "The one with golden hair?"

"She is currently on planet P3X 924," Teal'c replied as Jack's enthusiasm faded. "A skirmish with Jaffa there forced us back to the Stargate. Captain Carter did not make it through and so far all attempts to redial the planet are proving fruitless."

Bra'tac's brows drew together. "You fear that she is lost," he said, the wrinkles in his face showing his age as he sighed.

"No!" Jack said forcefully. "See I'm- _we're_ going to do everything we can to bring her back."

"What Colonel O'Neill means is that Captain Carter is trying her best to regain contact," General Hammond cut in smoothly. "Now you were saying you had news on Apophis' recent whereabouts."

Bra'tac nodded at Hammond. "My fellow Jaffa and I recently discovered that Apophis has moved against the planet Vikram," he began. "Our brothers report that they witnessed Apophis' mother ship bombarding the planet's surface from space."

"Wait," Daniel broke in. "Do you have the planet's co-ordinates? We very recently returned from a planet which had a civilisation that looked like it had been destroyed from space."

"You visited Vikram?" Bra'tac demanded.

"How many planets do we know that Apophis has bombarded from space?" Hammond asked. "When did this occur?"

"Approximately a week ago," Bra'tac informed them.

Daniel nodded slowly. "Then in all likeliness: yes. The damage at P2R 352 was in the vicinity of being that recent. Do you have any idea why Apophis did this?"

"It is said that on Vikram lives a race that is very powerful, with advanced philosophies, medicines, technology. Such that would give Apophis advantage over the other System Lords in battle, if he were to gain control over it. However- this race- the Vikrams- they are a very secret, shy even, to outsiders. You did not see any did you?" Bra'tac asked.

"We saw no inhabitants apart from Jaffa," Teal'c replied. "The place was destroyed."

"Did Apophis gain what he sought?" Hammond queried.

"It is difficult to know. If he sent down his Jaffa, then he must believe they are still on the planet- those that did not die," Bra'tac proposed. "The Vikram are rarely seen by any outsiders. Nobody has laid eyes on them for at least a century. They are quick to hide and disappear with ease."

"Rather like our Nox friends," Jack raised an eyebrow, remembering the highly advanced people who also appeared innocent and helpless at first glance, before SG-1 had realised they had the power to build huge floating cities and manipulate invisibility.

"What so you think they can turn invisible?" Daniel asked, turning his attention away from the Jaffa Master and looking at the Colonel. "I mean, how would Apophis have known where to strike if their settlement is hidden just like the Nox one is?"

"Beats me," Jack shrugged, fiddling with a pen.

"We do not believe he has found anything yet. Moreover- we also believe that the have Vikrams escaped and fled the planet to neighbouring systems, which Apophis is systematically searching. He only needs to find one Vikram to gain access to their knowledge."

"Only one?" Jack asked non plussed.

"Yes only one. They share a…collective mind. From one Apophis would be able to learn everything about the Vikram," said Bra'tac.

"Bummer," Jack muttered.

"Can we stop him from finding the Vikram?" Hammond asked, looking at Bra'tac.

"I believe the expression is: searching for a needle in a very large haystack," Bra'tac answered. "We do not know what the Vikram look like. We are at a disadvantage- though one we share with Apophis."

"How do you propose we stop him?" Teal'c said.

Silence fell in the Briefing room. A race that nobody had seen in just over hundred years? Jack rolled his eyes- it was worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. If what Bra'tac said was true and they'd left the planet- they could be _anywhere_ in the galaxy…

"Wait," Daniel spoke up, "On our mission to, what we believe to be Vikram, we recovered tablets, writings that might by from this civilisation, the Vikrams."

"You did?" Bra'tac looked sharply at the archaeologist. "Show me."

The sharpness in his voice surprised the rest of the men sitting at the Briefing table. What was so important about the Vikram? What secrets could these tablets found by SG-11 really hold?

"Of course…you could help me translate them," Daniel offered.

"Agreed," Hammond said. "Doctor Jackson, you show Master Bra'tac those tablets. And I want a list of planets in the vicinity of P2R 352. Let's see how many we've visited."

"Yes General," Daniel said, standing up, Bra'tac beside him.

"Dismissed."

* * *

_(P3X 924)_

After the third hour of sitting beside Remmie's bed, Sam pressed the back of her hand to the small forehead and was relieved to find that the previous intensive heat radiating from the child had dissipated. The touch also seemed to bring the girl from her sleep.

"Samantha?" the little girl asked, eyelids flickering as she stirred.

"Are you feeling better?" Sam asked, leaning in closer, relieved when the girl nodded the affirmative. Her eyes were no longer sluggish as she blinked strongly. "That's good."

Remmie sat up. "How did I get back here?"

"I carried you back from the Stargate," Sam said, "about three and a half hours ago now." She checked her watch.

Remmie frowned, rubbing her eyes. "You found you're way back?"

Sam nodded. "It wasn't hard- I followed the path back from the Stargate. What is it Remmie? You look worried?"

"I'm fine Samantha. Do you intend to return to the Stargate?"

"Damn," Sam muttered as she slid back the memory crystals into their slots in the DHD. "Nothing wrong with those," Putting her small flashlight between her teeth she fixed them properly back into place.

She had attempted to dial the Gate twice since she and Remmie had arrived again. Still nothing. The last chevron simply refused to lock. This was beyond frustrating to Sam. Surely she was missing something…she looked back at the Gate which loomed above her, standing grandly.

"What's your home like?" Remmie asked, joining two small white flowers together to form a chain.

"Well, some of it is a lot like this world," Sam said, glancing back over her shoulder before removing another crystal and scanning it. Luckily most of the equipment she had brought for the initial mission was still with her and she was putting it to good use.

"Oh," Remmie smiled. "So the glowing eyed men aren't there?" she asked.

"Glowing eyed- the Goa'uld?" Sam asked. "You've seen them before? Here?"

"Goa'uld? That is what they are called? And I've seen them," the child answered. "They are evil. They wish for galactic domination." The flower seemed to bearing the brunt of the little girl's frustration as it was twisted between two fingers.

"Yes they are," Sam said slowly. What kind of young girl- no more than seven used words like galactic domination? She was bemused by it. Sighing she fitted the crystal back in its place.

"So the artificial wormhole won't form?" Remmie asked, watching closely.

"No, it won't," Sam replied, still wracking her brains.

"And a wormhole is formed by the transference of an energized matter stream along an extra-dimensional conduit within a subspace field?"

Sam almost dropped her small torch, she was so shocked. "What?" she rounded on the child who was sitting on the grass playing with a daisy chain.

"Am I right?" the child asked, tilting her head to the side.

The sunlight flickered through the trees as for a moment; Sam stared at the little girl sitting on the clearing floor. Maybe she had imagined it. There was no way…but… "Yes…" Sam said, exhaling slowly. She raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"You told me," Remmie said innocently.

Sam shook her head, a small frown forming as she struggled to recollect if she had or not. But those words had tumbled straight out of the girl's mouth as though she had been throwing them around all her life. "I don't think I did." She took a step closer to the girl, looking at her closely.

"But you did Sam," Remmie protested.

More strongly this time, Sam denied it. "I didn't, I never used those words."

Remmie opened her mouth to say something in reply. Then abruptly she shut it, before her eyes widened in shock. Then they rolled back in her head and she fell backwards onto the bracken covered floor.

* * *

_(Earth- SGC- Briefing Room)_

"Doctor Jackson, Master Bra'tac what have you found?" Hammond asked as two hours later SG-1 and the Jaffa Master were back in the Briefing room, tablets on the table, the lights dimmed as Daniel stood by the projector.

"Well, I was correct with my initial translation," Daniel began, pointing to the screen as a section of the tablet he had photographed appeared. "What we've found is that this race, the Vikram, they are a, er, strong and peaceful race, living in almost complete isolation on their home planet."

He clicked for the next slide and a second piece of the tablet appeared. "Uh and here it talks about the Vikrams having very advanced technology, which is mostly powered by something called the 'inner spirit'."

"Which is?" Jack asked, spreading his hands.

"Their life force Jack," Daniel answered, clenching his fists for emphasis. "They use their own _life force_ to power things."

"Woah," Jack mumbled.

"Could this race then not be a potential ally?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel scrubbed a hand through his hair. "As Master Bra'tac said- no one has seen this race in close to a hundred years. They don't wont to be found by the outside, well galaxy."

"Can they be tracked?" Teal'c tilted his head to look at the archaeologist.

"That's the tricky part. We really need a piece of their technology- or even a Vikram to be able to track them down," Daniel said, looking slightly glum.

"Have you located the nearest planets to P2R 352?" Hammond asked expectantly.

"Ah, yes General," Daniel replied. He switched the projector off and powered up the lights in the Briefing room.

Jack blinked owlishly. He'd been ready to nod off almost.

Daniel handed the General a sheet of paper. Hammond scanned the list of planets that the archaeologist had asked Walter to print out for him. The list contained all the planets in the system, the ones any SG teams had visited marked with a red dot.

Hammond's eyes widened. "P3X 924?"

Jack's head shot up. "That's a nearby planet?"

"And indeed we met Jaffa there," Teal'c observed. "It would seem it fits the pattern that Apophis is also looking for the Vikram."

Bra'tac nodded in agreement.

"There's just one problem Colonel- we cannot connect to the Stargate on P3X 924," Hammond said, having checked the rest of the list of addresses. Only a small handful had been visited.

Jack winced. That was a sore point.

"I am in command of a Teltac," Bra'tac said, breaking the silence.

Immediately four heads snapped in his direction, making the Jaffa Master think he had suddenly said something wrong.

"And you didn't _think _to mention this before now?" Jack asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. Inside however, hope began to bubble. Maybe they could get Carter back after all. It had to be worth a shot.

"There was no relevance," Bra'tac said simply.

Jack nearly rolled his eyes. "General- permission to take SG-1 to P3X 924. We could keep an eye out for the Vikram and get Carter back at the same time," he said, looking at the General. Daniel and Teal'c nodded their support of the plan.

For a moment there was silence in the Briefing room.

"Permission granted Colonel. You have a go."

* * *

**Woohoo! They have a go! **

**Now...why is it so easy to write Jack/Daniel/Teal'c/Hammond...maybe Bra'tac in character but Sam just eludes me...I don't understand- why is she so difficult?**

***Sigh***

**Hope you enjoyed- see you all on Sunday :D**

**Please review :D Please? hehe**

**AldabaranFox**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Next chapter- day early! Lucky :) Also fixed some wierd errors in previous chapter where I forgot to put in a ruler space :/ Thanks Ceph for pointing it out!**

**Disclaimer: As per usual- no ownership of characters or Stargate- except for Remmie :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8- Illusions**

**_(_**_Earth- SGC)_

In the locker room, Jack tugged on his SG vest quickly, zipping it up over his standard green BDU. Cap already in place, he hoisted his pack over his shoulders and by now was moving towards the door. It had taken him all of ten minutes to prepare for the mission after General Hammond had given the go ahead. Daniel fell into step slightly behind the Colonel as they hurried to the Gateroom where Teal'c and Bra'tac were already waiting.

Behind the two Jaffa, the Gate was already active, shimmering blue behind them. General Hammond was standing in the Control room overlooking the Gate, Walter seated behind his computers.

"God speed SG-1," Hammond said, leaning towards the microphone. "Bring her home."

Jack nodded, "You bet sir," he waved for the team to follow him, boots clanking on the ramp. He knew what the SFs present and probably the scientists in the Control room were thinking.

If there was anyone left to bring back.

Jack shut down that train of thought. They would bring her back. Alive and well. God help him, he would.

The gate rippled as the men passed through it and Hammond watched as the Gate disappeared, the Gate room dimming as the blue light from the wormhole vanished from sight.

* * *

The Teltac had been hidden in a dense patch of forest a few miles from the Gate on the planet Bra'tac had given the SGC the address of. Tramping through the bracken littered forest; they had found the camouflaged cargo ship and cleared the branches covering it.

The door to the cargo vessel hissed open as Bra'tac punched in the code allowing them access. Teal'c went immediately to the pilot's chair, seating himself and preparing the ship for take off.

Jack and Daniel set down their packs in the holding area, the thrumming noise beneath their feet a sign that Teal'c had taken off. As they walked back into the cockpit they could see the trees disappearing beneath them, clouds flashing by as Teal'c skilfully manoeuvred the craft into space, darkness surrounding the ship, distant star pinpoints scattered across the inky blackness of space.

"Nice T," Jack commented, resting an arm on the back of Teal'c's chair, Bra'tac occupied the other pilot's seat across the control panel.

"The ship is ready to go to hyperspace," Teal'c said, checking the co-ordinates.

Bra'tac nodded and a few seconds later the white lights of hyperspace flashed past as the Teltac jumped into hyperspace, the stars and blackness of space vanishing.

"How long till we reach the planet?" Daniel asked, adjusting his glasses.

"An hour, Vikram is not far from the planet we just left and the planet you called P3X 924 is close to Vikram," Bra'tac said.

Jack nodded. He could wait another hour.

* * *

"I am preparing to drop out of hyperspace O'Neill," Teal'c said, rousing Jack from the holding area of the Teltac. "We have reached P3X 924."

Approving, Jack watched as Teal'c brought the ship out from hyperspace, the white streaks of stars solidifying into single points as the planet P3X 924 loomed in front of them as the Teltac drifted towards it.

"Er, Jack- what's that?" Daniel said, pointing to something off to their left.

"It is a Ha'tak- Apophis' mothership," Bra'tac stated gravely as SG-1 stared at the heavily armed and shielded pyramid ship orbiting the planet.

"Aw great," Jack cursed. Now Apophis was here too. Why didn't they just throw a big party?

"They have not yet detected our presence," Teal'c observed, flying the ship away from the mothership and into the shadow of P3X 924.

"Keep it that way," Jack said, eyes narrowing. "Apophis must be searching this planet in his little routine round up of the Vikings."

"Vikram," Daniel corrected.

"Them," Jack said, waving a hand. "Can we still land?"

"It will be difficult to land undetected by the Ha'tak," Teal'c said, brows furrowed. "We would have to land on the other side of the planet. The Stargate is located on the western hemisphere. I will take us as close as possible."

"Do that," Jack said as the Teltac veered off, further away from the silently gliding mothership.

* * *

_(With Sam)_

"Remmie? Remmie!" Sam said, kneeling down beside the child, her torch dropped. Basic first aid skills immediately kicking in, Sam checked for a pulse by the young girl's neck.

Nothing.

"Damn," Sam cursed, as she double checked the pulse, then looked for any signs of breathing.

There was none.

"Remmie!"

The girl was no longer breathing and had no pulse. She couldn't just be dead like that!

Methodically, brushing away any panic, Sam set about CPR for the tiny girl, tilting the head back, checking for blockages in the throat. Pinching Remmie's nose shut she started breathing for Remmie and started the chest compressions, blowing the annoying strands of her blonde hair back from her forehead as she did so.

"Come on, come on," Sam muttered, still compressing.

She checked again for any breathing. Oh god this wasn't happening.

"You are not to die Remmie," Sam ordered, having given mouth to mouth again and starting her compressions. "Remmie!"

A chocked gasp made Sam's own heart clench and she stopped her ministrations, watching intently as the young girl took a staggered breath. She was breathing. Sam felt the breath she hadn't realised _she_ had been holding leave her one long exhale.

"Remmie? Can you hear me?" she asked, bending down close to the young girl's head.

Sam watched as Remmie's eyes began to flicker and eyelids rose slowly as if loathe to open. With gentle encouragement, Sam coaxed Remmie back to consciousness, though made sure she kept lying still on the ground.

"What happened?" Remmie managed to ask, words faltering.

"You collapsed," Sam said, brushing back a curl. "Though I should be asking you that. How do you feel?"

"Feel lethargic," Remmie muttered.

Sam blinked. Lethargic could not be in this young girl's vocabulary. Tired maybe- but lethargic? Unless Remmie was a lot brighter than Sam was giving her credit for…a few minutes ago she had explained precisely how the Stargates worked.

Something really wasn't right here.

"I need…to get back to the… village," Remmie said at length, no strength to push her tiny body up off the floor. "Take me back."

"But your heart stopped," Sam began incredulously. For all accounts the child could have died if she hadn't have acted as swiftly as she had done. Sam thanked her first aid skills gratefully.

"I _need _to go back," Remmie insisted. "I am well enough."

Unhappy, but unable to deny the request, and having quickly assessing that the child had no further injuries, Sam gently scooped up the child, surprised again by the lightness of the girl. She barely weighed anything.

What Sam did not hear was the crackling of her radio as she left her pack behind, too busy carrying Remmie from the Stargate clearing.

"_Carter? Carter do you read me? It's Colonel O'Neill. Carter respond…"_

Hurrying through the woods, Sam arrived quickly back at the edge of the village. She was about to pass through into the clearing when something out of the corner of her eye made her freeze.

She looked again.

It was not possible.

The trees at the edge of the clearing were fading in and out of focus. It had nothing to do with Sam's eyes as she glanced at the floor and saw it look solidly back at her. Looking up again she saw one tree fade completely from sight before reappearing the next moment.

"What's the matter?" Remmie mumbled in Sam's arms, muscles twitching feebly.

"Nothing. Let's keep going," Sam said, shaking her head as if to dispel the image. When Remmie was better she was definitely coming back here to run some tests. No, after Remmie was better she had to focus on getting home.

Home.

Back to Stargate Command. Back to her usual job of tinkering with alien technology, seeing how it worked, throwing herself into her research with her huge level of enthusiasm.

She still had no idea why the Gate was not responding. Had the SGC also given up? Had SG-1 given up any hope of getting her back? Did they think she was dead?

The Colonel wouldn't.

Sam was positive about that. He would never leave her behind- even if he was unsure. He would be trying everything he could.

She hoped…

Careful not to jog her patient too much, Sam hurried towards the house, pushing the door open with her shoulder and setting Remmie down upon the low bed, arranging the blankets. Immediately, the girl was weakly trying to push herself up.

"Remmie you have to lie still," Sam chided, feeling the girl's forehead. It blazed with heat.

"I cannot," Remmie said, confusing Sam even further. What was going on here? This girl was speaking as though she was ten, no twenty years older than the six year old lying before her.

"What's happening?" Sam asked.

Remmie faltered, her elfin features tightening with pain. "I cannot hold it," she whispered brokenly.

"Hold what?" Sam asked, leaning in closer, watching Remmie's small fingers clench tightly around the blankets. "Remmie?"

From outside the house came a loud crash and then a small explosion. Sam's head darted round to stare at the door. Now what was that? She glanced back at Remmie, who looked as though she was struggling to breathe.

"Get them," Remmie began, voice wobbly as she gripped Sam's hand. "The villagers…into the hut at the far end of the village," the girl ordered.

Sam stared at her. Remmie's tone, words, all sounded surreal coming from a tiny girl. Something really was not right here and Sam was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Remmie's eyes darkened. "Now Samantha!"

Sam could not say what force moved her from Remmie's bed. Her heart was protesting though it was as if she had no control. Staggering to her feet, she turned and left the building, legs easily eating up the distance between the houses. Most of the villagers were already outside, having heard the explosion.

"This way!" Sam yelled, motioning to the villagers. "Come on, over here!"

Suddenly, there was a rush of air and the trees swayed violently. Glancing upwards, casting a hand up to protect her eyes from the sun, Sam spotted something akin to grey bird swooping over the trees turning back towards them. Except Sam knew it wasn't a bird.

It was a Goa'uld Death Glider.

"Now! Everyone this way!" Sam shouted to the stunned villagers busy staring at the glider. _Preferably before it opened fire _Sam thought as she guided the villagers towards the building Remmie had designated.

Though what good would one building do?

Encouraging the terrified Molarion, Sam hurried them towards the building, the sound of twenty five pairs of feet pounding on wooden steps as they entered and huddled inside. Sam was thankful that the village was not overly big. They could all fit.

Remmie.

Remmie was still in the other house, unable to move. Mindless of her own safety, Sam gave the Molarion strict orders to stay in the house. She left, SGC boots clomping on the wooden steps down to the ground. She turned to glance back at the building and her jaw dropped.

There right before her eyes, the building she knew to be there because she had just left it, rippled and faded. Completely invisible. That was not possible Sam thought. How could the Molarion, the typical feudal race have such cloaking technology?

Sam had a gut feeling it had something to do with the little girl she needed to be with.

* * *

The death glider had disappeared as Sam ran across the centre of the village, heading back for Remmie's house. She was up the small flight of stairs and pushing the door open all in a heartbeat.

Remmie was still on the bed, though she had moved. Now she was sitting in the middle of it, eyes closed, legs crossed. Sam moved across the room, kneeling beside the bed.

"Remmie?"

Remmie's eyes opened a fraction. "You should not be here," the little girl murmured.

"Tell me what's going on," Sam said firmly, "I need to know. How have the Jaffa only found us now when I've been here this long?" she brushed a hand through her blonde hair.

"The Jaffa cannot see us here," Remmie said, taking a gulping breath. "But…it's too much energy."

Energy. That meant technology. Something Sam was familiar with. "Where is it? I can take a look at it," Sam said. "Fix it or anything," she shook the child's arm gently as Remmie drifted off again.

"No technology," Remmie said.

Sam blinked. Then what was keeping the village invisible?

Like the Nox…"You are not from the Nox are you?" Sam hazarded.

Remmie shook her head. "No. Not the Nox," a small smile twitched in the corner of her lips.

Sam was stumped. What could it possibly be then?

"Me. I am powering the illusion," Remmie said faintly, eyes shutting again.

Sam could not think of anything to say. How could a human be powering a device? Sam wracked her brains. Hypothetically, if Remmie was indeed powering such technology and it required vast amounts of energy, straight from the little girl…it would explain why Remmie kept blacking out. It was taking too much strength from Remmie.

"Remmie- is there any way I can…share the energy transfer with you?" Sam asked, still certain there was a device somewhere around here. And why did it have to be Remmie? Why couldn't it be an adult- someone stronger? Seriously- a six year old girl?

"Samantha listen," Remmie directed. "I am not what you think I am. I am not Molarion. I am in fact an entirely…different species to the Molarion. And I am not a little girl," the small lips twitched again. "I'm actually hundreds of years old. That would...explain my extensive vocabularly...would it not?"

The girl Sam knew as Remmie flickered and was suddenly replaced by a much taller, slender being, sitting in exactly the same position that little Remmie had been occupying a fraction of a second ago.

Sam started backwards in surprise.

If the being stood up, Sam was sure it would reach nearly three metres easily in height. The skin was a translucent amethyst colour; the four humanoid limbs were long and willowy, with four elongated fingers with a thumb on each hand and four toes on its feet. It wore very sheer white clothing, wrapped in many layers around its lean body.

Sam's eyes glanced up at the face of the being in front of her. It was longer than a human's and had solemn looking, large, round eyes large which were decidedly yellow in colour.

"This is just…an illusion," the being said, as the form of Remmie reappeared. "It made sense as I was to hide in a village of humans that I appear as a human child. Therefore...I...acted as such."

However, the being had looked ill. The eyes looked haggard and its skin Sam was sure should have been much more luminescent. Just as the alien was suffering, so too was the illusion of the little girl.

Sam ran both hands through her hair. "Ok…where does that leave us? I must be able to do something to help?" she said.

"You cannot help," 'Remmie' said gravely, still concentrating, small eyes shutting. "These…illusions are hiding the village from the Jaffa. But they are beginning to look harder…" Remmie coughed, spluttering.

Reaching over, Sam grabbed a wooden cup from the table beside the bed, filling it with water from the jug near it and carefully giving it to Remmie. The little girl Sam saw drank slowly, breathing easing.

"Doubts make it harder to keep up the illusion…takes more strength," Remmie said.

Behind them, outside Sam could hear the stomping boots of Jaffa, the shouted orders in Goa'uld. It would not be long before they were found. And there were still questions to be asked.

"Why are you here?" Sam asked, taking the cup back. "Why are you hiding?"

The being sighed. "My planet was attacked by the Goa'uld. My race fled and I ended…up here. To blend in and avoid detection I copied the image of one of the young children here. Influencing the…human adults…was not difficult…and I was easily…accepted." The longer speech went on, the slower it became.

"Save your energy," Sam said, resting a hand on the girl's knee. The voices talking in Goa'uld were getting closer. Sam shut her eyes. They were probably nearing their house now.

"The Goa'uld are still coming…I set up a bigger field for the illusion so they…wouldn't…wouldn't find the village. Powering this…is draining the last…of my strength…" Remmie said, breathing shallow again. "I can't…forever…"

* * *

(_With SG-1)_

Jack clicked off his radio, hiding his disappointment. There had been no response as he had hailed Carter. Nothing but crackling static. Perhaps she had put down her radio somewhere, not gotten to it in time...

"O'Neill, we are close to the village," Teal'c said as SG-1 jogged through the woods after hiding their Teltac in another patch of dense shrubs, covering it carefully. As they had descended they had seen in the distance a Goa'uld death glider- no doubt from the mothership in orbit.

"I even recognize that tree," Jack said dryly. He suddenly paused.

Daniel bringing up the rear, nearly tripped over the stationary Colonel. "Oof," he muttered, stopping himself in time. "Jack? What is it?" he peered around the older man.

Jack raised a hand and pointed to the tree.

Teal'c also narrowed his eyes. "I believe I see it also," he said. "The trees seem to be moving in and out of phase."

Daniel concentrated, eyes flicking from tree to tree before he spotted it, eyes widening. "Oh. What on earth?" he adjusted his glasses.

"That is the typical sign of a Vikram," Bra'tac said as they moved closer. "An illusion has been set up."

"It's not working very well," Jack said wryly. "And who would want to hide a tree?"

"We are getting close- we must continue," Bra'tac said. He suddenly held up a hand, head titled slightly as though he was listening for something. Teal'c also adopted a similar stance.

"There are Jaffa, up ahead," Bra'tac said.

Jack's hand immediately well to his P90, joking laid aside in an instant. "How many?"

"We shall have to get closer," Bra'tac replied.

Stealthily the five men continued forward, weapons ready as they moved carefully through the undergrowth, eyes and ears ready to pick up and sight or sound of the enemy Jaffa up ahead.

Bra'tac suddenly held up a fist and the group stopped, crouching down. Indeed up ahead in the clearing were four Jaffa, each bearing the sign of Apophis on their foreheads. Each had a staff weapon.

"Let's take them out," Jack said, P90 ready, Teal'c's staff weapon opening with a hiss.

* * *

Having easily removed the threat of the Jaffa patrol, SG-1 continued down the path, approaching the village. Jack could almost feel the tension in the air. Sam would be there. Sam would be alive. And Sam would be coming home.

As they arrived at the edge of the clearing, Bra'tac paused, Teal'c following suit. "Is this where the village is meant to be?" he asked.

Daniel nodded as he stepped beside them. "Yes- this is where the village is meant to be," he said, confused.

"Is it being hidden?" Teal'c suggested.

"Like the Nox?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

Teal'c inclined his head.

Carefully, they entered the large clearing, weapons still raised. Then, before their eyes several buildings appeared, solidifying right in front of them.

"I think I found the village," Jack said as the Molarion houses swam into view and the whole village was revealed to them.

* * *

**I hope that explains a few things :) Sorry if it is just confusing- I am admist piles of clothes and trying to pack! There's another chapter almost finished- I will see if I have time to add it before I leave :)**

**Hope you enjoyed- review pretty please? XD Doesn't take long...**

**Thanks!**

**AldabaranFox**


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my gosh I am finally back! It's been 2 weeks! I have not updated in a longo time! (Intential spelling) My sincerest apologies- I was on holiday. Very sorry that I had to keep you waiting- it upset me too! **

**Then when I got back I was surprisingly not jet lagged- even though the flight was 10 hours...I had the fear of getting results on Thursday morning to keep me up the whole of Wednesday night when I got back. But everything is ok because I am going to University! Hooray! All hard work paid off and I can write away undisturbed until October! Yes! ****Then all the excitement/released stress/jet lag caught up and I literally slept the whole of Friday and most of Saturday too. **

**So I would have updated sooner but I'm sorry and here it is! Yay!**

**Thank you for waiting and reading/reviewing whilst I was away and now enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing :D But I will be getting a Denver Bronchos Tim Tebow t-shirt! Yes :D**

* * *

**Chapter ****9- Within Sight**

* * *

"_Is it being hidden?" Teal'c suggested._

"_Like the Nox?" Jack raised an eyebrow._

_Teal'c inclined his head._

_Carefully, they entered the large clearing, weapons still raised. Then, before their eyes several buildings appeared, solidifying right in front of them. _

"_I think I found the village," Jack said as the Molarion houses swam into view and the whole village was revealed to them._

* * *

Sam stiffened as she heard voices speaking in Goa'uld very close by. She hazarded they were either unsuspectingly walking around the house where she and Remmie were hidden in, or had stopped just feet from it.

"Remmie- these illusions, are they solid, as in matter solid?" she asked quietly, glancing up at the form of the little girl, who still sat cross legged on the bed eyes shut in concentration, chest rising and falling shallowly.

"They are not," Remmie replied slowly. "Only my own…is."

"So if the Jaffa get too close, they could potentially discover the house we're hidden in," Sam said, more to herself. Already her mind was alight with the different scenarios their situation could head towards. She didn't really like any of them.

"Correct."

Sam's brow furrowed. Surely there was _something_ she could do. She couldn't just sit here and take the miniscule chance that the Jaffa would just miss the house. They had found the village after all. Who knew how long it would take before Remmie could no longer sustain these illusions. And what about the villagers all in the other house? How long would it be before the Jaffa stumbled upon the defenseless men, women and children?

"I will hold…their illusion as long…as possible," Remmie assured Sam in a broken whisper.

Sam grimaced. It would be at the cost of Remmie's life. What would she do to have an SG team with her? What would she do to have the rest of SG-1 here with her? The Colonel's quiet, assertive confidence. That was what she needed. Teal'c's strength. Daniel's calmness.

Sighing frustratedly, Sam ran a hand through her blonde ruffled hair. She only had her own skills to go on here…They had probably put her as Missing in Action. She wondered how long it would be before it changed to KIA. They hadn't…they hadn't stopped trying to get through the gate had they? Would they?

Surely Daniel, Teal'c, the Colonel wouldn't let this lie down easily? She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering a good day on the base. Daniel's birthday. Oh they had been planning a surprise party once they had gotten back from this planet at O'Malley's. _When _she got back they would have to go. Sam refused to say _if. _To say _if _allowed the possibility of defeat to linger in her mind.

Then two things happened simultaneously, jerking Sam away from her reverie.

Remmie let out a strangled gasp, small hand clutching at her chest as she tried desperately to draw in oxygen. As a concerned Sam instinctively moved towards the Vikram to check what was wrong, she heard outside what sounded distinctly like a curse in mumbled Goa'uld and a thud.

That only meant one thing. They had been found. One of the Jaffa on the patrol had walked straight into the first step on the small staircase up to the house they were hiding in and had fallen forwards, seemingly over something invisible. As his comrades had hurried over to investigate, they had found the Jaffa warrior slumped at an angle on something invisible.

More noise. Footsteps on the steps- hesitant at first, voices conferring.

It was over. Remmie gasped again and Sam knew that her control of the illusion had gone. The house was in plain view for all to see. Sam's hand slipped to her sidearm, she still had her Zat'nik'tel. Removing it, she activated it to the firing position, holding weapon ready. Where was her P-90 when she needed it?

"There are…many of them…" Remmie said softly.

A fist banged on the door. Orders in Goa'uld roughly barked. They would be wary. Houses did not suddenly appear and disappear like magic. Then the door would open and they would fire.

Sam nodded in response, settling herself in a crouched position, weapon trained on the door. At least she would be able to take some down she thought dryly. Perhaps even make a run for it with Remmie if she took them down quietly.

Suddenly, the door burst open and three Jaffa warriors of Apophis stood in the threshold of the door. Taking no chances, Sam fired in quick succession, seizing the element of surprise and hitting all three squarely in the chest, watching them slump to the ground unconscious.

Everything fell silent.

"I do not…approve…of…violence," Remmie managed.

"Save your energy," Sam said gently, kneeling beside the bed again, running a hand through the soft brown curls. The little girl looked very pale and every few moments the true form of the Vikram showed through, stuttering before vanishing again.

The child's head tilted forwards in a single nod. "Your…weapon…behind the bed."

Sam started in surprise. Crawling around the side of the bed, she found her P-90 lying on the wooden floor. She reached for it and was surprised to find it fully loaded. She shot a glance at Remmie, but the girl's eyes were closed.

Feeling more confident of their chances now, Sam slung the strap over her shoulder, readying the weapon. There had been no more sounds since the three Jaffa had unwittingly found their hideaway. Perhaps she should drag the bodies inside the hut and hide them.

"Jaffa kree!"

"Damn." Sam readied her P-90 and stared intently at the open door.

Sam fired.

* * *

"Be on the look out," Jack said as they entered the village, the houses clear now around them, weapons ready, eyes taking in every possible angle. That had only been a patrol in the forest. The Jaffa may have already found the village.

"O'Neill," Teal'c called, crouched down beside one house.

Jack hurried over as Daniel and Bra'tac covered him, keeping a wary eye out for any Jaffa that would sneak up on them. Shifting his weapon, Jack knelt, grimacing slightly as his knees cracked. "What is it?"

Teal'c indicated to the footprints he had found in the soft mud. Jack cast an eye over them. Mud was on the steps leading down from the house; Daniel confirmed it from another one nearby. They were not overly big or deep but they looked fresh and all headed in the same direction. "From the villagers?" he asked, looking at the stoic Jaffa.

"I believe so. Any Jaffa passing here would make heavier prints," Bra'tac leaned forward to inspect the marks in the mud.

Teal'c nodded his agreement. "They look to have been made in haste."

"So the villagers were all moving in the same direction quickly?" Daniel asked pushing his glasses further up his nose, glancing between the Colonel and the two Jaffa for confirmation.

"It might be so Daniel Jackson." Teal'c made to stand up, before he tilted his head to the side, one eyebrow rising in surprise. "This is not like the other marks," he said suddenly, pointing to the ground.

Jack looked and as soon as he saw it felt his heart leap awkwardly in his chest. Where as all the other footprints were soft tread and smooth, this one was different. And it had a partner he saw, just to the left. More tracks lead away with the other prints.

"Standard SG issued boots…" he muttered, tracing the outline in the mud.

"Samantha Carter?" Teal'c said immediately.

"They aren't that big. And no one else would have these boots," Jack said, rising quickly. She was here. At last he had tangible proof that his captain was alive and somewhere in the village. The relief was almost tangible.

"Look, I don't want to be the pessimist-" Daniel began. There was always the possibility someone from the village could have taken the boots from the SG Captain and used them.

"Ah!" Jack cut across the archaeologist quickly. He wasn't ready to have any hope crushed yet. Not with this evidence in front of him. This was the first indication yet that Sam was alive. "Move out, we'll check these houses," he ordered.

The rest of the team nodded and split into two, as they quickly mounted the steps up to different houses. Jack glanced at Daniel as they stood by the door. The archaeologist nodded slowly, reaching for the door handle as Jack readied his P-90. Daniel flung the door wide open and Jack immediately stepped across the threshold, gun raised, sweeping left and right quickly as Daniel stepped in behind him.

"This one's empty," Jack said, glancing around, having looked through the cupboards and done a quick check of the room.

Daniel held up a hand. Jack looked puzzled for a moment, watching the archaeologist carefully walk around the room and over to the bed. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Daniel?"

Daniel pointed to the bed.

"_Now_ Daniel?" Jack asked incredulously.

Daniel's eyes widened. "What? No!" he said in amazement. "I was going to check _under _the bed."

Jack exhaled. "I already checked."

Daniel carefully lowered his gun before dropping on one knee and checking under the bed, other hand grabbing his torch and waving it underneath, finding nothing but dust and dirt.

"Anything?"

"No."

"So this one's empty."

"It appears so," Daniel agreed.

"Thank you," Jack spread out his hands as though it had been obvious. "That's what I said."

Unexpectedly, the sound of gunfire filled the air, splitting the silence. Starting, Jack hurried to the door, readying his weapon, peering out at the empty village. He immediately grabbed his radio. "Teal'c! What's the problem?"

"There is no problem here O'Neill. The house myself and Master Bra'tac are searching is empty."

Jack frowned. "What? I heard gunfire," he informed the other two.

"As did we. But it we were not responsible. Have you a…problem?" Teal'c asked, voice crackling across the radio.

Jack's frown deepened as he reported back the negative, glancing across at the equally perturbed Daniel. "It did not sound like staff blasts," Bra'tac replied using Teal'c's radio.

Jack nodded, "Sounded more like our gunfire," he said, keeping the radio on so Teal'c could keep up with the conversation. "Teal'c meet us outside."

Teal'c and Bra'tac jogged over to where the Colonel and Daniel were standing. "It sounded like it came from over there," Daniel said, pointing more towards the centre of the village.

Just as they started moving, staff weapon bursts sounded just ahead of them, followed by more rapid gunfire. Without needing to communicate, SG-1 and Master Bra'tac ran forward, still careful of what was around them, until they caught sight of the Jaffa.

Stopping sharply, they crouched down under the cover of one house with round barrels outside it, carefully peering over. Jack brought out his binoculars for a closer look. There were at least twenty Jaffa up ahead, all surrounding one house, staff weapons primed at it.

"What do you see?" Daniel asked, looking at the Colonel.

"It's Apophis' cronies alright," Jack said, handing him the binoculars. Daniel peered through them, nodding before handing them back. Jack accepted them, squinting as he looked through, carefully counting the number of Jaffa.

"There are twenty five Jaffa," he said. "Maybe more, but they're the ones in the open."

"O'Neill," Teal'c suddenly pointed at the house.

Jaffa were exiting from the house, some clutching at wounds. Then a woman was forced out of the house, hands tied behind her back, stumbling as she was shoved roughly in the back by a Jaffa. A small child followed, barely managing to keep upright, slumping to the floor. The woman turned back, Jack could hear faint shouting before the woman was forced down the steps and the child roughly picked up by another Jaffa.

Jack concentrated on the woman. He could almost not believe his eyes, however much he had wished for this. The woman walking down the steps had blonde hair. More than that, she was dressed in green Stargate Command BDUs.

It was Sam.

* * *

Squeezing the trigger, Sam shot four Jaffa, repelling the invasion of the house. She had to defend Remmie. It was the only hope that the other villagers would remain alive. Subconsciously Sam wondered if that was no even possible. What she would do for some C4 and a couple of grenades…

Her gun clicked. No more ammunition. Sam cursed. Now only her zat. Throwing the P-90 aside, she continued firing, more Jaffa falling around the doorway. This position would also not be permanent.

Suddenly, she felt the sharp electrical charge running through her body and felt her body jerk in response. Through one half open eye she saw one Jaffa, crouched in the doorway, his zat pointing directly at her. She grimaced, trying to hold onto consciousness.

_Damn that hurt…_she thought vaguely as her eyes slid shut.

The next thing Sam knew when she woke almost two minutes later was she was being dragged upright. Goa'uld voices were all around her. Looking around she saw the house was completely filled to the bursting point with Jaffa.

_Remmie_

Sam caught a glimpse of the little girl, lying on the bed in a faint. Heart in her mouth, she saw with relief that the child, or Vikram as she kept reminding herself was not dead as she watched the thin chest rise and fall weakly. Sam had no time to stare at Remmie as she was pushed roughly towards the door, tripping over her own feet as she went, glaring furiously at the two Jaffa at the door before she was forced through.

So this was the end. To be taken out by the Jaffa, interrogated and probably executed. KIA after all. She winced. How callous she sounded about her own fate. Blinking as she stepped into the hazy sunshine, she saw more Jaffa standing guard outside the house, staff weapons pointed directly at her.

There was a soft gasp behind her and Sam craned her neck back to see Remmie, tottering forwards before fainting. "Hey!" Sam yelled as a Jaffa descended on the child, but she was yanked back, stumbling down the steps to the ground.

"You are not of this village," a Jaffa stepped forward, grabbing Sam by the chin and looking her over.

Sam felt her insides churn with anger and humiliation.

* * *

Jack felt his insides burn as he watched as Carter was forced down the steps and a Jaffa stepped forward, speaking to her. Why, when he got his hands on that no good, slimy snakehead…his hands instantly became fists of their own accord.

"Jack, what are we going to do?" Daniel asked breathlessly, watching as Sam was marched between a contingent of Jaffa, the child with her slumped over the back of another.

"There are too many to openly engage. We need a distraction O'Neill," Teal'c advised.

"I believe there is more here than meets the eye," Bra'tac frowned, looking around at the rest of the village. "Where are the other villagers?"

Jack removed his pack, searching through it. He pulled out something, holding it up so that the other three could see.

Teal'c nodded, a small smile pulling at his lips as one eyebrow rose. "I believe that would make a suitable distraction O'Neill," he said, eyeing the C4 Jack had in hand.

Clapping the younger Jaffa on the shoulder, Jack handed some of the explosives to him and Daniel, informing them of the time to be set on the countdown. He watched as the two members of SG-1 slunk away, still hiding behind the houses.

"You're with me," Jack said to the older Jaffa, having kept the last of the C4. Carefully, the two of them crept back around the house, Jack planting the C4 carefully beneath one of the barrels where it was unlikely to be detected. He placed three minutes on the countdown, as he had instructed Daniel and Teal'c to do as well.

Jack crouched down, pulling out his binoculars again and surveying the area. The group of Jaffa had stopped; Sam knelt in the middle, the little child now on the floor beside her. Jack focused on the child. He cursed. It was the one Sam had been with in the clearing. The one who had prevented her returning through the Stargate with him and the team.

Ignoring the irritation that arose, he found his Captain's face. She looked stony as she stared at the ground, her arms wrapped around the child as the Jaffa around her discussed something. Probably talking about when old snakehead himself would appear. The Jaffa all bore the mark of Apophis.

Jack watched as one of the Jaffa reached down, attempting to drag the child from Sam, separating the two. Sam's eyes widened and she struggled with the Jaffa, trying to keep a hold of the girl.

That was when Jack saw the staff weapon aimed right at Carter's heart.

His whole body ran cold.

* * *

The Jaffa were talking above her. Sam ignored them, instead distracting herself with Remmie. The Vikram was unconscious again, but seemingly able to pour the last of its strength into keeping up the illusion of a little child. Had Sam had the time, she would have pondered on how the house illusions were not solid, whilst Remmie looked and felt every inch the human child she appeared to be.

But there was no time to think of that. Sam had exhausted every possible opportunity of escape. Now what remained was when Apophis would turn up. He would most likely recognize her, she thought wryly. KIA after all she thought again.

Then one of the Jaffa stooped down, grabbing at Remmie's shoulder.

"Leave her alone!" Sam snapped, pulling Remmie towards her, fright rising in her chest. This was not good. She wasn't frightened for herself. Alright perhaps a little bit, but her primary concern was Remmie. If the Jaffa found out…

Suddenly, she felt the tip of a staff weapon pressing against her chest. Slowly, her eyes traveled up the weapon to the stony eyed Jaffa wielding it. His eyes held no mercy as he looked down on her. The weapon opened.

Sam resigned herself to her inevitable fate.

If only she had said goodbye to the Colonel.

Surprisingly, that was her regret.

* * *

Jack's eyes widened as he saw the staff weapon prod Carter in the chest. He had not just waited for several days to find her against all odds alive, to have her killed by a Jaffa the next minute.

No. He had to do something _now._

He glanced at his watch quickly. Less than a half a minute left. He could not afford to wait any longer- a pre-distraction, distraction he decided was in order. His pulled one of the grenades he carried out, looking out at the Jaffa again. They were only about ten feet away now. Bra'tac now held one of his own…Jaffa style grenades. He looked grim.

Slowly Jack nodded. One the count of three was wordlessly agreed.

One…

Two…

Three!

* * *

**Did you enjoy? Apologies again for the very late update- it will never again take this long- unless I run into a writer's block that I could never scale. Hopefully that will not be the case!**

**Too much humour? Bad humour? sorry- it was a last minute add the bit with Daniel and Jack. I did not in any way imply anything- take it as you wish! I literally meant it as Jack thought Daniel needed a nap...honest :)**

**Please review!**

**Thanks!**

**AldabaranFox**


	10. Chapter 10

**My deepest, most sincerest apologies for not updating in sooooo long. I had to read over what I had written in previous chapters! Basically the first term of Uni swept me away. I can't believe how quickly two and a bit months have flashed past. It's crazy. But now the holidays have come- Christmas is around the corner and I want to get this story going again. And finished if possible! So here without further ado, is the next chapter.**

**I would like to thank everyone for waiting so patiently! :D**

**This chapter is actually quite long...I guess a lot needs to happen!**

**Much love!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10- Consequences**

_Flashback…_

_Slowly Jack nodded. "One the count" of three was wordlessly agreed._

_One…_

_Two…_

_Three!_

_

* * *

_

With practised ease, Jack threw the grenade in an arcing sweep, ducking back down as it exploded upon hitting the ground, the surprise and force knocking two Jaffa standing close by to the ground. Bra'tac's one curved through the air before rolling, stunning several more Jaffa.

At that precise moment, several explosions shattered around the village, debris blasting up into the air as the C4 went off. Teal'c and Daniel had done well. The ground trembled, the Jaffa stumbling around in shock. The leaders were shouting orders, running in all different directions towards the sources of the explosions.

Now the Jaffa were scattered and uncoordinated, Jack and Bra'tac began systematically firing, adding to the confusion. Jack heard other rapid fire shots from across the village; Daniel and Teal'c also had joined the fray from their position. Within moments half of the Jaffa guard were down and Bra'tac tossed another one of his Jaffa grenade types into the midst, knocking down another six in a sudden blast.

Jack ducked as several staff blasts flew over his head before rising and shooting again, taking out two Jaffa who had been advancing on his hidden position. The Jaffa were completely caught by surprise out in the open, not expecting an attack from such a primitive village.

A few moments later, when the smoky haze of battle cleared, Jack noted grimly that all Jaffa were down and out for the count. Nobody moved on the open field in front of the house. Nobody. Heart sputtering again, Jack rose, weapon ready just in case, Bra'tac right behind him.

Weapons still trained on the motionless bodies, Bra'tac covered the Colonel, allowing him to hurry across to the last place he had seen the Captain and the little girl. He hoped they had not been caught in the crossfire. The point had been as a distraction. He hoped they had been ignored and stayed down.

"Carter?" Jack called, stepping around the bodies. "Carter!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see Daniel and Teal'c emerging from their hiding spot, walking over cautiously; aware that at any moment a Jaffa 'playing dead' could suddenly appear.

"CARTER?"

Jack swept around, quick eyes taking in the battle field. It couldn't be….

"...Sir...?"

That word, at that precise moment, said by that person, meant more to Jack then he could ever admit.

"Carter?"

There she was. Sitting up from where she had thrown herself flat on the ground to avoid any of the weapons firing, hiding Remmie beneath her body as well as her still bound hands could manage. Her mop of blonde hair stood out amongst the silver armour of the Jaffa and Jack spotted her and hastened over, nearly overwhelmed by the emotions jumbling through him.

He crouched down beside her, ignoring the protests from his knees. Now was not the time. "Carter, you ok?" he asked urgently, scanning her face for any signs of pain or injury. To god he hoped she had not been hit…

"Fine, sir. I'm fine," Sam assured him- unable to stop the small smile tugging at her lips as relief washed through her.

* * *

They had come for her. As soon as she had heard the sound the first explosion she had thrown herself to the floor. At least the Jaffa pointing his staff weapon at her had been preoccupied by the sudden noise. Then when automatic gunfire echoed across the village, her heart had leapt as she lay on the ground. There was only one race that used such weaponry. The SGC had not given up on her. He hadn't given up on her.

She was fine. She wasn't hurt, she was fine…

"Long time no see Carter," were the words that tumbled from Jack. As soon as he said them he inwardly cursed. Did he have nothing better to say? Come on- that was lame! Hiding his frustration at himself, he brought out his knife, using it to slice through the bonds tying the Captain's wrists together. Altogether lame. He had had so much time to come up with something better!

Sam rubbed them gingerly; the ropes had been tight and chaffed the skin, saying, "Thank you sir." But it was so much more than just a simple thank you. She had so much more to say…

A soft groan immediately diverted Sam's attention from the Colonel in front of her as she gently lifted Remmie onto her lap, fingers finding a pulse in the neck, relieved still to find it beating, albeit weakly. It would take a long time to recover. She stroked back the damp hair. At least the illusion was holding for now. The rest of the village had fully emerged, except for the one house with all the villagers in. That was the last thing Remmie was holding together.

"Sam!" Daniel and Teal'c were hurrying over, seeing their friend and team mate alive and unhurt, smiles broad.

Sam smiled warmly as the two approached and rose to greet them. "Teal'c, Daniel. It's good to see you both," she said sincerely. She had missed the team enormously, half believing that they would never see each other again.

"It is good to see you well, Captain Carter," Teal'c inclined his head towards her as Daniel looked positively thrilled as he gave her arm a squeeze. Bra'tac merely smiled.

"It's good to be well," Sam admitted. "But how did you get here- the Gate…"

"We think it may have something to do with a race called the Vikram," Daniel began to explain. "The planet we visited, oh, P2R 352, the one destroyed from space by Apophis was apparently home to a race-"

"We don't have all day Daniel," Jack reminded the archaeologist. He was itching to get back to the ship and just go home. Where his team would be safe and together.

"We travelled by Teltac," Teal'c announced, enlightening Sam.

"There is a possibility that a member of the Vikram society is on this planet, which explains the presence of all these Jaffa," Daniel waved a hand at the fallen bodies surrounding them. "They create illusions to hide from their enemies."

Sam sucked in a breath. That was what Remmie was- a Vikram. "So perhaps, the Vikram's cloaking abilities were somehow…affecting how the Gate dials, preventing a wormhole from being established and you from travelling back to this planet or me dialling out," she began to think. If Remmie's powers had failed then perhaps the Stargate would work now.

"If that wraps things up- we need to head back to the Teltac and go home," Jack said. "I don't want anymore Jaffa sneaking up on us."

Home. How good that word sounded Sam thought. "But the villagers…" she suddenly remembered.

Daniel and Jack exchanged a look. "Where are they?" the Colonel asked. That was an unforeseen hiccup in his plan.

"They're hiding in one of the huts," Sam said. "Now the Jaffa know they're here it's not safe for them to remain in this village."

Jack cursed under his breath.

"The Teltac cannot transport that many individuals," Teal'c reminded them helpfully.

"I know," Jack said impatiently.

"Sir, I believe the Stargate should work now," Sam interjected.

Jack shot her a questioning look. "Explain Carter."

"Well, it's more a theory than anything else, but now I know why the Gate isn't working; there is a high likelihood I can get it to work again. The problem before was I didn't know what was affecting the Gate's dialling capabilities," Sam clarified. She had said all that without revealing Remmie was a Vikram. She deliberated inwardly over whether to do so or not. The Colonel was her commanding officer- he had a right to know.

"Sir Remmie-"

"She can come with us," Jack said. "We need to get the villagers to the Gate. Teal'c, Daniel, go round up as many as you can find and take them to the Gate. Master Bra'tac- the Teltac is yours. Carter and I will head straight to the Gate and get it up and running again," he ordered.

Daniel and Teal'c nodded and left to search for the hiding villagers. The houses around them had grown in number again; more were appearing every few moments. Bra'tac also departed to recover his Teltac. That left Jack and Sam.

"Come on Carter- we should move," Jack said. He watched as she gently picked up the unconscious small child, carrying her securely in her arms.

"I'm ready sir."

Jack nodded, "Let's move out," he said, standing, adjusting his P-90 to make sure Sam stood up without stumbling. She smiled her thanks and the two picked their way across the village, heading back to the Stargate.

* * *

The closer they got to the Gate, the more Sam hoped that it was actually Remmie who had been blocking the Gate. If not, they were still stranded, with over three dozen villagers to relocate and Jaffa probably still lurking around.

At that moment, a swooping noise made the tops of the trees around them swish violently. Through the gap, Jack spotted something and swore. "Dammit. Come Carter, let's hurry it up," he said.

It was a Death Glider. That meant more Jaffa.

Rearranging Remmie in her arms, Sam followed the Colonel to the clearing, relieved as the Gate appeared before them. Carefully, she set the little girl down, checking her pulse again. It was even slower if that were at all possible. Sam grimaced. Remmie had not yet emerged for her unconscious state and Sam was worried.

"That was Daniel and Teal'c- they're on their way here with the villagers now," Jack said, clicking off his radio. "Try the Stargate." He knelt down beside the Captain, who was still staring intently at the little girl.

The source of this mess.

Sam nodded. "Watch her, I'll check the Gate," she said standing. Moving across to the DHD, Sam dialled Earth, her hand hovering above the last chevron. Would it work?

She pressed down on it firmly. Jack looked at the Gate expectantly.

Nothing.

Sam felt her heart lurch. The gate still would not dial, the last chevron would not engage. Behind her Sam heard the Colonel swear under his breath.

"Can you do something Carter?" he asked, indicating to the inactive Gate. "Teal'c and Daniel will be here any minute."

Sam ran a hand through her hair distractedly. What she really needed was for Remmie to wake up. Then she could ask Remmie to drop her cloaking device- if only to allow them access to the Gate. There was nothing she could do to fix the gate as it wasn't broken.

Hurrying back, Sam knelt at Remmie's side, feeling her pulse. It was slow, but steady. "Remmie? Remmie I need you to wake up," Sam said softly, gently patting the little girl on the cheek.

Jack watched in confusion as Carter focused her efforts on the little girl. What about the Stargate? "Carter- the Gate-" he pointed out. "The thing we need to fix to go home?" he waved in the vicinity of the Ancient technology.

"Sir, the only way to get the Gate going is to wake up Remmie. _She_'s the Vikram," Sam said.

Jack's eyes widened. "You mean," he glanced at the child. "This little girl is a Vikram thing that Daniel was talking about? She's a little girl Carter."

"It's an illusion sir," Sam explained. "She explained it all to me back at the village. She was hiding in the village from the Jaffa."

* * *

_(With Daniel and Teal'c)_

"Come on this way, this way," Daniel said, guiding the villagers along. "We're taking you to a safer place."

The villagers had been stunned to find their old guests arriving again but had recognized Daniel and Teal'c quite quickly. They had needed little encouragement to leave the village with the threat of Jaffa behind.

"O'Neill is at the Gate," Teal'c said, clicking off his radio. "They have met no Jaffa thus far."

"Let's hope Sam can get the Gate running," Daniel said, helping a more elderly woman over a tree route. "Come on- this way- that's it!"

* * *

(_Colonel O'Neill and Carter)_

"Remmie?" Sam smiled in relief as the eyes flickered slightly before Remmie looked sluggishly up at her.

"Samantha," the Vikram said tiredly. The eyes glanced across to Colonel O'Neill watching on the young woman's right. "I know you…"

"Colonel O'Neill," Jack clarified- his tone slightly brusque. So this…child was a Vikram? And all that while she had been right under their noses…Jack hated it when the obvious came to back to kick you in the ass. Well that was life.

Remmie nodded. "What can I do for you Samantha? Where are the Jaffa?" the little girl tried to raise her head but her body was too weak.

"It's the Stargate," Sam explained gently. "I can't get it to work. At first I thought it was your powers interfering with the Gate but now the illusions have been dropped…" Sam raked a hand through her blonde hair. It just didn't make sense.

"Let me…have a look," Remmie suggested.

Jack glanced at his wristwatch. "We don't have much time Carter- Daniel and Teal'c will be here any second," he warned her, glancing back over his shoulder at the entrance to the clearing.

Carefully, Sam supported Remmie across to the DHD. Small fingers moved lightly across the chevrons, tracing the patterns. "We never…used Stargates," the Vikram said slowly.

"Can you make it work?" Jack demanded.

"Maybe."

"Maybe? I can't accept maybe. This thing has to work. No ifs, no, buts, maybes about it," Jack looked across sharply at Sam.

"Sir, I don't understand why it's not working. I need more equipment…" Sam opened a panel underneath the DHD, taking out a crystal and examining it.

"There's a damaged crystal," Remmie said at length. "I can feel it."

Sam frowned. "I checked all the crystals…"

"It is almost…indiscernible," Remmie said, lowering herself carefully to the floor, small hand hovering over the array of crystals, before selecting one and withdrawing it from the device.

Sam and Jack looked at it.

"Looks fine to me," Jack said, though no expert on the matter. Sam found herself agreeing, the crystal looked fine.

"There's a… crack inside it," Remmie explained. "Your….device will not work…because of it."

Sam thought furiously about what they could do. She had no adapters to power the DHD. There were no other crystals where she could reroute the power from and kick start the DHD.

"I'll power it," Remmie announced.

"What? It would kill you!" Sam said, horror creeping into her voice.

* * *

"_Daniel to Jack- we're almost at the clearing,"_ Daniel's voice crackled through Jack's radio.

"Affirmative Daniel- but we're having a little Gate difficulties," Jack explained, lifting the communication device so he could speak into it clearly. "Look Carter, we've got the villagers coming through now- and who knows how many damn Jaffa behind. Can we get the Gate working?"

"Yes," Remmie said.

"Jack? Sam?" Daniel's voice called to them from behind as the snapping of twigs followed.

Jack turned and saw his other two team mates herding the villagers into the clearing, most clutching a few belongings or anything they could easily carry before fleeing their village.

Remmie placed her hand on the crystal. "Dial…Samantha," she said.

"Sam?" Daniel looked confused.

"No time to explain," Jack said, "I want these people to be ready to move out as soon as the Gate activates!"

A sudden booming explosion a few hundred metres away made the whole group jump, some of the women and children screaming in fright as mud, twig and leaf erupted as a fireball hit the ground.

"The Jaffa have located are presence," Teal'c observed, staff weapon ready.

"Ya don't say," Jack said as another fireball hit the ground right at the edge of the clearing as a Death Glider swooped overhead. "Dial the Gate Carter!"

"Yes sir!"

Remmie inserted the crystal and lay her hand over it, her eyes falling shut. Sam looked at the Vikram one last time before pressing down on the first chevron. With a clanking groan the Gate began to turn, the first chevron locking into place. Smiling grimly, Sam continued the sequence.

"Alright people listen up! That Gate there is going to open and as soon as I say so you are all going through!" Jack yelled at the group above the explosions drawing ever nearer as the Death Glider swung around. Teal'c took a passing shot as the craft soared past, his aim missing slightly.

"You'll be safe," Daniel hastened to add, at the fearful looks on some faces, "It's our home we're heading to."

Sam's hand slammed down on the last chevron, her heart in her throat as she watched the Gate. She could almost feel her commander's eyes half on her, half on the Gate. She knew the mumbled prayer on his lips as she muttered the same.

_Come on, come on, come on…._

With a whoosh, the bubbling blue event horizon shot out from the Stargate, illuminating the whole clearing, to gasps from the villagers who had never seen the Gate activated before.

_Thank god…_

"Come on now- through the Gate!" Jack directed as Daniel sent the GDO code through. Hammond would be getting a shock his end.

The villagers began to move towards the Gate, nervously at first, like frightened sheep. Teal'c and Daniel urged them on, helping the elderly through and giving children a gently push. Jack stood with his P90, ready for any trouble.

A staff blast flew through the clearing, striking a tree to the right of the Stargate. This only caused panic as the villagers screamed, pushing and jostling to get through the Stargate. Daniel called to Jack, just before he ran through the Stargate, the event horizon rippling behind him, to try and keep order on the other side. Teal'c waited, staff weapon ready. There was as yet nothing to fire at.

"Teal'c go," Jack ordered as another staff blast zipped through the clearing. This was turning out to be a horrible sense of déjà vu all over again…

Reluctantly this time, the large Jaffa nodded before disappearing back through the blue event horizon, already back on his way to Earth. Just a few more minutes and they would all be home safely.

* * *

"Alright, Carter, we're leaving!" Jack yelled from the Gate, glancing down at where his second in command was hunched by the DHD, trying to support the failing Vikram. Without the crystal remaining intact with Remmie powering it, the wormhole would collapse instantly.

"Sir I can't leave her!" Sam looked at him. "The Gate will shut the moment Remmie leaves it!"

"Dammit Carter I'm not leaving you here again!" Jack shouted above the cracks of staff blasts. "You are coming now!"

"But we can't let Remmie be captured by the Jaffa!" Sam argued back. "I can run and hide with her!"

Jack saw the catch. The scene before him began to slow sickeningly. It was too much like what had happened previously. He would not leave her here again. Not after he just got her back. Not this soon. But then Apophis could not be allowed to capture a Vikram….

A shot too close for comfort skimmed over Jack's head and he cursed.

"Carter!"

This was _not_ happening!

* * *

There was no time. Even if Sam grabbed Remmie and threw themselves into the wormhole, it would disintegrate before they got back to Earth.

"Sir, just go!" Sam cried as three more staff blasts hit trees, ricocheting off or gouging out smoking wood from the trunks as they hit in brilliant orange bursts. "Go!"

Jack scowled fiercely. "I'm not leaving you here again!" he promised as the last villager left the planet, wormhole squelching directly behind him. Up ahead through the clearing he could hear the clanking of Jaffa armour and shouts in Goa'uld.

Sam glanced over her shoulder towards the source of the noise. She would not let the Colonel stay here and die. He would live. He had to go back through the Gate whilst there was still time. Remmie could not hold it for long. Sam could see the grim, fierce determination in the Colonel's eyes; he was not leaving without a fight. Somehow that comforted her.

An orange burst of light shot over her head, and she ducked.

Without warning the entire clearing was bathed in an orange light as the ground around them exploded in a massive blast.

Jack saw the surprise on the captain's face as debris, dirt and tree flew up everywhere and she ducked to hide herself and the Vikram beneath her. Caught in the blast radius, he was propelled backwards, absentmindedly recognizing the sharp pain raking through the left side of his chest and shoulder.

Then he hit the event horizon as everything else around him vaporised and his shout of rage and despair was swallowed up as everything went black.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that :D And it was worth the wait. Probably not actually the wait was a bit too long- sorry again! And I've just gone and blown everything up again. Sorry!**

**Please review :D**

**AldabaranFox**


	11. Chapter 11

**I was shocked at the amount of hits chapter 10 received the night I posted it! I was stunned! Thanks everyone for reading and the lovely comments! Hope you are all enjoying- especially now as the updates are becoming more regular again!**

**Wishing you guys a lovely Christmas- hope you have a great time :) Here's a present from me- the chapter!**

**Oh and the "previously on..." part imagine with Teal'c's voice- he usually does those voice overs in the episodes- I was watching an episode the other day and it reminded me...so I thought I would add it!**

**Disclaimer: Forgot this for the last chapter…bad me…but the same stands- I do not own any characters or the Stargate. So there.  
Also a few lines from the song "Time to Learn" by Mary Duff- the song also in the first chapter. Not mine either!**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 11- Coping **

_Previously on Stargate SG-1..._

_Without warning the entire clearing was bathed in an orange light as the ground around them exploded in a massive blast._

_Jack saw the surprise on the captain's face as debris, dirt and tree flew up everywhere and she ducked to hide herself and the Vikram beneath her. Caught in the blast radius, he was propelled backwards, absentmindedly recognizing the sharp pain raking through the left side of his chest and shoulder._

_Then he hit the event horizon as everything else around him vaporised and his shout of rage and despair was swallowed up as everything went black._

_

* * *

_

The next thing Jack knew was that he was lying on his back on a metal ramp in quite an awkward position. All around him sirens were blaring, one particularly loud wailing claxon was getting on his nerves actually. He gingerly shifted to try and get a clearer image and maybe give it a piece of his mind.

As he moved, a sudden jarring pain flared up in his left shoulder, the muscles protesting and nerves grating. Jack grimaced, just stopping the gasp of pain passing his lips. Damn that hurt! His good right hand snaked across to grip his shoulder, coming away with splatters of crimson.

"Jack!" several voices were calling that, mixed in with "Colonel!" and the sounds of feet pounding on the metal ramp.

There was something more pressing, more important. For a moment Jack couldn't remember what it was, but the ache in his chest told him it was significant.

The Stargate…

_Sam!_

The reality of the situation hitting him hard, the name sprang up in his mind. Not Carter. Sam.

With sheer effort and determination, Jack pushed himself into a sitting position on the ramp to look at Earth's Stargate on his right barely metres away. In that instant, the blue wormhole disappeared into nothingness, dissolving, vanishing before his eyes. Only the grey concrete background of the wall behind the Gate was there.

Jack's head dropped in defeat.

_It takes time to learn_

_When someone's gone for good…_

Blinking rapidly to dispel the greying edges of his vision, Jack watched uninterestedly as Janet Fraiser hurried towards him, white doctors robes flapping as she ascended the ramp towards him, two orderlies behind her, a gurney waiting at the bottom for him. SFs armed and weapons trained on the Gate waited for orders from the Control Room above which looked to be a hive of activity.

Nothing mattered now.

_Then it's time to learn_

_To let them go…_

"Careful Colonel," Janet warned as she began to examine his shoulder.

Jack tried not to flinch away as she touched his wounded shoulder, "Easy," he hissed.

"It's alright, you're going to be fine," Janet assured him, turning back to call to the junior doctors behind her, who hurried to bring her supplies.

Daniel moved past the Colonel to the Gate, staring so hard it was as though he could will the wormhole back into existence. "Redial the planet!" he demanded, looking back up at the Control room. "General Hammond, she was right there! Come on!"

"Daniel stop it," Jack said, tone flat. "There's no point."

"What?" Daniel reeled around in amazed shock to look down at where the Colonel was slouched receiving treatment. "Come on Jack- you can't give up now- she's just on the other side- you know, you saw!" The archaeologist gestured with his arms out in confusion, not quite sure what else he had to say. What had happened?

"Just…drop it."

Even Teal'c looked genuinely perplexed as Daniel looked to the Jaffa for support, then back to the defeated Colonel and once more beseechingly up at the General.

"Jack- are you alright?" Daniel was crouched on his other side, face creased with concern, voice low. Where was the fight in the Colonel? Of all of them, Daniel expected the Colonel to be loudly demanding their return to the planet. Had he suffered a head wound, amnesia, forgotten the reason why they had gone back to the planet in the first place?

"M'fine," Jack replied through clenched teeth. He could not bear to look at the younger man's face or the silent Jaffa's and see the confusion and despair there, which he knew mirrored in his own. Again he had failed to bring Carter back. He had failed.

Again.

_They're not coming back_

_Like you wished they would…_

"Take the Colonel to the infirmary," Janet ordered, helping the battered Colonel to his feet as Daniel took Jack's good arm over his shoulder, supporting him. Jack would have grumbled, complained, and insisted he could walk by himself. But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to. Teal'c was waiting at the bottom of the ramp, serious face revealing nothing. He watched the Colonel stagger out and followed wordlessly, not looking up at the Gate.

* * *

In the Control room, General George Hammond and Staff Sergeant Walter watched the morose goings on in the Gate room below. The initial surprise at receiving SG1's GDO had filled the room with delight. Then Daniel Jackson had jumped through, yelling they had Captain Carter again and that they were under fire from renewed Goa'uld attacks, as villagers from the planet poured through, along with the occasional blast of dirt from explosions hundreds of light years away.

General Hammond remembered the bad feeling that had arisen as he had watched the events unfolding before him.

Teal'c had appeared next, looking calm despite the circumstances.

Then nothing else for a few, tense minutes. The blue event horizon had stayed still, rippling slightly as the General, various scientists, Walter, Daniel, Teal'c and the SFs standing trained on the Stargate, had waited expectantly for the last two of SG1 to appear.

Because they had to come back. They _were _coming back. The same mantra whirled around the General's mind. It was a mistake to think that just SG-1 missed their female colleague. Hammond too was getting to know the daughter of his old friend General Carter.

Suddenly, the flailing form of the Colonel appeared in the Gate room, looking as though he had been blasted through the Gate on the other side. General Hammond had immediately re-summoned the CMO, Janet Fraiser who had disappeared off with the last of the villagers. He looked back at the Gate. Still not sign of the blonde woman who played such a vital role in SG1.

Almost the moment after the Colonel had flown through the Gate, landing in heap on the metal ramp and then looked up, the wormhole had died. General Hammond shut his eyes in a pained grimace. No Captain Carter.

"Dial back to the planet!" Hammond ordered simultaneously as Daniel Jackson below shouted for it to be done, Walter hurrying furiously to comply with the command, fingers a blur on his control panel as he brought up the co-ordinates to redial.

Below, Jack O'Neill was being helped off the ramp, refusing the gurney, determined to walk to the infirmary. As the sixth chevron locked, he paused, looked back- a tiny spark of hope glittering in his dark eyes. The archaeologist was shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. Even the CMO looked a little anxious as the Gate span.

The whole Gate room seemed to hold its breath as the seventh chevron began to dial.

There was no familiar locking sound or burst of blue light as the Gate should have activated. The Gate room remained silent.

"No lock," Walter announced softly and unnecessarily. The breath that had been held in the Gate room was slowly released and the Colonel and the rest of SG1 left, heading for the infirmary under the watchful eyes of Janet Fraiser.

General Hammond drew himself together. "I want to know what went wrong this time. Get our best minds together." He ordered the Staff Sergeant. Could the remaining members of SG1 take this all over again?

* * *

_(SGC Infimary)_

In the infirmary, Jack bore all treatment in stony silence as the medical officers flitted around him, bandaging his shoulder, taking his temperature and every other useless measurement they needed to take. None of his usual banter about avoiding the large needles wielded by the base's CMO, who looked on worriedly.

Daniel and Teal'c stood in the corner, observing silently. Daniel felt the keen weight of the situation. They had been so close. They had been with Sam, talked to her. She had been there, alive. And so cruelly it was all snatched away from them again. Daniel wondered how the Colonel was faring. He tended to retreat inside himself at times like this. Just like the last time…

Daniel exhaled, trying to control the well of emotions from bursting out of him at any moment. He wanted to shout out the injustice of it all, cry at the unfairness and hit the Colonel for his casual attitude towards the situation.

Jack's eyes flicked towards the archaeologist angrily. "Sighing won't solve anything," he snapped.

"Then why aren't you doing something Jack?" the archaeologist demanded hotly. "I know you and this isn't you! Why are you sitting here...moping and doing nothing! Sam's just on the other side of the Gate! We can dial back and get her!" Daniel could have punched some sense into the Colonel.

"You don't know what happened!" Jack growled back.

Daniel opened and shut his mouth several times. The look in the Colonel's eyes unnerved him. _Something _had obviously happened...something that was not good at all...it made Daniel's heart sink in trepidation.

"What happened on the planet O'Neill?"

Jack looked at his knees, as Teal'c spoke up, unwilling to say anything. "The whole clearing exploded in a fireball," he muttered at length. "All of it. One of Apophis' barrages from space I'm guessing."

For a moment there was silence in the infirmary. Janet's hands shook slightly as she checked the bandaging of the Colonel's shoulder. The implication of the man's words struck the CMO, archaeologist and Jaffa with brute force.

Daniel barely restrained a gulp. "General Hammond is redialling the planet as we speak," he began. "We'll go back and-"

"There's nothing left Daniel." Defeat rang in every word the Colonel uttered. It was as though he had given up.

"You can't be sure of-" Daniel began.

"She was caught in the middle of it!" Jack yelled at the archaeologist, eyes blazing, ignorant of his protesting shoulder. There was a pained look in the older man's eyes. "The whole clearing went up and she was right there. Too far away…"

Daniel and Janet exchanged distressed looks.

"How did you manage to return through the Stargate?" Teal'c asked eventually.

"Blast forced me back."

"…and Sam?" Daniel ventured.

"Was too far away. Stayed with the child…Vikram, whatever." Jack's tone was flat. "Wouldn't leave it behind. Never had a chance to make it through the Gate."

At this, Daniel left the room, striding out past a startled medic who flattened herself against the wall as the unusually irate archaeologist barralled past her. Jack didn't watch the young man go, eyes firmly on his knees.

This time it was worse. This time Jack knew he could have done something. Run and grabbed the Captain, forced her through the Gate. Seeing the defeat in her eyes as she had assessed the situation from the beginning…

Had she known beforehand that she couldn't have escaped the planet without having to leave the Vikram behind? Jack seethed inside as he thought over the possibility. She had sacrificed herself without so much as asking his damn permission to do so! He should have sent her through the Gate first and be done with it all.

Regret.

That's what Jack hated the most.

* * *

_(The Control Room- four hours later)_

The Stargate was dialling again. General Hammond had refused to allow the first try and subsequent attempts to be failures. His scientists had assured him that the Earth Gate was not to blame. So they ran simulations, based on the Colonel's Intel, as vague as it was.

"Chevron Six is engaged," Walter commented as the Gate moved into its final stage of the dialling sequence.

Hammond nodded coolly. He was fully aware that the situation looked bleak at best. An explosion right beside the Stargate- Colonel O'Neill had been lucky to survive. Colonel O'Neill was not holding out much hope that his 2IC was as fortunate as he had been.

The General scrubbed a hand over his jaw. He had visited the Colonel in his quarters a little over an hour ago, just to check up on the man. The depressed look in his Colonel's eyes had worried him. The Colonel blamed himself utterly for failing to bring back the Captain. Hammond could see the younger man running the mission again, over and over in his head, replaying it from every angle to see where he could have done better. Saved her and brought her back.

But that would not bring Samantha Carter back. And both men knew it.

"Chevron 7is locked!" Walter could barely contain his excitement as the wormhole exploded into life before their eyes, right back to the planet SG1 and the villagers had escaped from. "We have a stable connection sir," he reported to the General who was looking over his shoulder.

"Very good," Hammond nodded. "Send the MALP through immediately."

Less than ten minutes later, the MALP was assembled on the ramp below, directly in front of the Stargate, the scientists giving it a last once over, before it slowly began to wheel up towards the glistening wormhole. Sergeant Siler watched it critically with his team, eyeing the moving probe as it was directed through the portal.

"I think SG-1 might like to-"

"Already here sir," Jack's voice came floating up the stairs as he entered the Control room, Daniel and Teal'c hot on his heels as he came to stand beside the General. The Colonel's arm was in a sling and his shoulder was heavily bandaged. A grim expression lined his face and his brows were closely drawn.

General Hammond did not ask how the remainder of SG-1 had so quickly found out the wormhole had been established.

Behind the Colonel, Daniel was anxiously watching the progression of the MALP as it journeyed to the planet. Teal'c kept his gaze fixed on the Stargate, stoically gazing forward, hands clasped behind his back as he waited without revealing his thoughts.

Beneath the solemn exterior, Teal'c found himself hoping, beyond anything, the safe return of their comrade. As a warrior he had failed to protect those warriors around him. He had failed his friend, he realised. Teal'c fought to the urge to shuffle as the ache in his chest grew. He would withstand it and bear it as punishment. For failing.

"What do you expect to see Colonel?" Hammond prompted.

"Getting live MALP feed…now!" Walter said, adjusting his control over the SGC robot before Jack could respond. The camera slowly flickered into life, grey lines flashing across the screen before the grainy picture solidified and the men squinted at the image.

Complete and utter destruction met their eyes.

Where once there had been greenery now the area was now ashen, grey and black. The trees in the clearing had been bowled over completely, snapped like match sticks, radiating out from the blast centre which was a large blackened ring in the centre. The grass had withered away in the explosion, leaving bare brown soil and broken vegetation. Smoke still wafted from the site.

There were no signs of life anywhere.

"My god…" Daniel muttered, unable to tear his eyes from the screen.

Jack looked away, fiddling with the hem of his green BDU with his good hand. That was the glimpse of what he remembered seeing just before being thrown through the Stargate: the utter annihilation of the clearing. He was surprised the Stargate was still standing upright.

The Colonel's eyes strayed towards where the DHD was positioned. Or had been positioned. The piece of technology was now a burning stump lying on its side, the top completely blasted off, with the crystals inside exposed. There were no signs of bodies.

"Where was the Captain Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"By the DHD," Jack replied.

No more was needed to be said.

Daniel ran a shaky hand through his brown hair, lips moving but no words coming out. The group had been stunned into silence.

Slowly, the MALP rumbled across the destroyed landscape to where the smoking remains of the DHD were. The camera swivelled around, scanning the ground for any signs of life. There were various imprints in the ground but nothing else. No remains, no nothing.

In his mind's eye, Jack could almost see the outline of the Air Force Captain sitting there, the child slumped in her lap….

"Searching for any life signs…" Walter managed to choke out.

Jack turned away. Nothing could have survived such a blast. Even the Jaffa would have been fried. That was just the callousness of the System Lords. Jaffa warriors to them were expendable- just blow up the area they were all in. It didn't matter.

"I'm not picking up any life signs General, here or in the vicinity."

"Will you not send through an unmanned airborne vehicle?" Teal'c suggested. "Perhaps Captain Carter managed to escape the blast and move elsewhere to safety."

Jack made no comment. He still couldn't believe anything could survive that blast.

"Shut it down," Hammond ordered curtly. Evidently there was nothing left on the planet to salvage. "Permission granted. Get the UAV down here and get to work on it." The General would be damned before he expended every available option in finding any trace of Samantha Carter.

"Yes sir," Walter said.

Daniel thumped his fist on the back of one of the chairs. It just wasn't _fair._ Daniel knew that life wasn't fair, but this was seriously taking the biscuit. She had been right _there._ So close. How had it all suddenly fallen apart at the last minute? He could feel the tears stinging in the corner of his eyes. Damn it.

If there had been anything more he could have done. Anything. But no, he'd gone first, out of danger leaving Sam in danger again. How many countless times…Daniel squeezed his eyes closed and surreptitiously wiped his glasses.

The wormhole disintegrated again, leaving the personnel in the Control room in silence.

"SG-1 I'm taking you off active duty. You three need to rest- I have Doctor Fraiser's full support on this," Hammond informed the mute members of the team, casting a trained eye from man to man. The team had been through the wringer over the last couple of weeks. "You'll receive any news as soon as it comes through," he assured them as it was surprisingly Daniel that looked about to protest.

Privately, Hammond wondered if the team would ever be the same. If their worst fears were confirmed…would the three men accept a new team member? Would they continue functioning as an effective unit together off-world? Hammond did not want to explore that route of thought any more if could be helped.

Suddenly, a red claxon began to wail, as data flashed across Walter's screen.

"Unexpected offworld activation!"

* * *

**I'm so bad…a cliffhanger…**

**You'll have to review if you want to know who it is :P Any guesses out there? **

**Hope you enjoyed! The next update will be next week!**

**AldabaranFox**


	12. Chapter 12

**Happy New Year everyone! Woo 2011. The first time I've actually written it! It feels weird…haha. I wish you all a very happy year ahead and good luck with everything! **

**Here is the next chapter- sorry about the delay- New Year sort of got in the way! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12- Returned**

_Previously on Stargate SG1…_

_Privately, Hammond wondered if the team would ever be the same. If their worst fears were confirmed…could the three men accept a new team member? Would they continue functioning as an effective unit together off-world? Hammond did not want to explore that route of thought any more if could be helped._

_Suddenly, a red claxon began to wail, as data flashed across Walter's screen._

"_Unexpected offworld activation!" _

_

* * *

_

(SGC- Earth)

Freezing in their tracks, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c all whirled around, back at the General's side in an instant, Jack privately cursing the soreness in his shoulder as it jolted at the sudden movement. Come on, it was high time he deserved some good luck wasn't it?

But the clearing had exploded. He had watched it happen, had seen the MALP's imagery of the desolate scene. There was nothing left.

It was going to be another SG team again. Returning safely from a mission, all members present and accounted for. Again. Jack didn't think he could stand the waiting, the imminent arrival of SG-12 or another team, the team clattering down the ramp, talking and laughing, ready to debrief and unwind.

Why was nothing ever that simple for his team?

"Receiving GDO signal," Walter said as said signal began to appear on his screen.

Jack thought he was going to burst with the tension. _Just get on with it! _Was what he wanted to yell. He needed to fidget with something and again the hem of his green BDU seemed ready to bear the brunt of it. It was like those damn talent shows on TV where the host took a pause just a little _too _far. Who wanted to be kept in suspense for five minutes?

"It's…Master Bra'tac?" Walter announced as the signal corresponded with the information in the SG computers.

Jack released the breath he had been holding. Really what had he been expecting?

"Open the iris," Hammond commanded with a curt nod as he and SG-1 made for the stairs down into the Gate room to welcome their ally.

The iris swung open to reveal the glittering wormhole. A minute later the Jaffa Master appeared, walking briskly down the ramp, a curious set of emotions hurrying across his face. "Hammond of Texas," he greeted the General cordially enough, bending in a slight bow.

"Master Bra'tac, it's good to see you safely back," Hammond extended his welcome. "The Colonel informed me that you left the planet by another route."

Teal'c barely had time to greet his mentor and old friend before Bra'tac was speaking again, tone urgent. "I require one of your medical teams' assistance immediately," he announced as the Gate shimmered behind him, bathing the Gate room in a blue, ethereal glow.

"Are you injured?" Teal'c asked, brows narrowing in concern, as he checked for wounds on the older Jaffa.

"It is not for me," Bra'tac clarified. "It is for the blonde woman- Captain Carter."

* * *

It hit Jack like a punch to the gut, winding him and taking him completely by surprise. _Sam…was alive? _"Where is she?" Jack demanded, taking a step forward, feeling Daniel's surprised falter beside him. _And injured…_ "Where is she?"

"Alive in the Teltac, on a safe planet I landed on after escaping. I located the Stargate and dialled the Tau'ri home world immediately," Bra'tac answered.

Hope sored in Jack as he heard what Bra'tac had to say. Relief coursed through his veins and he let out a "Yes!" along with a squeezed fist in respite. Daniel's beam threatened to break his face in two as he excitedly clapped the smiling Teal'c on the shoulder. There was the lucky break his team had been looking for.

"How severe are her injuries?" Hammond spoke up, unwilling to put a dampener on the current mood but needing to know the facts.

"I did not think it wise to move her," Bra'tac's words were grave.

The euphoria from a moment ago and the broad grin on Jack's face slipped from him as his heart twisted and plunged, dimly aware that Hammond was shouting for a medical team to report ASAP in the Gate room, ready for the off-world retrieval of a wounded officer. _Did not think it wise to move her…what's wrong? But she's alive…_

"Permission for SG-1 to go back with Master Bra'tac sir," Jack petitioned straightaway, not wasting another moment.

Hammond nodded. There was no way he was going to be able to keep SG-1 away from the Gate. Not with the news they had just received. "Get your team suited up," he ordered the Colonel. "And get SG-3 down here immediately as back up- I want to make sure nothing goes wrong!"

Walter acknowledged from the Control room.

The words had barely left the General's lips as Jack left the Gate room at a jog, Daniel and Teal'c hurrying after their leader in the direction of the changing rooms to grab their gear, running past startled SFs and scientists who scattered before the team, watching the three retreating figures with surprise and confusion. Jack totally ignored the throbbing pain of his shoulder.

In record time, the remainder of SG-1 were back in the Control room. Daniel wiped his glasses on his sleeve as they impatiently awaited the arrival of the medical team. The claxons were wailing as the Gate was redialled. The doors to the Gate room slid open as a medical team, Janet Fraiser at their head hurried in, SG-3 quickly bringing up the rear as they ushered the medics along, checking their weapons and medical supplies as they shifted. Tension and anxiety was palpable. Even as Hammond waved them through, Jack was on the ramp, Master Bra'tac a step ahead as they disappeared through the wormhole, vanishing from the SGC.

* * *

Stepping out through the Stargate, Jack was immediately on alert, P90 ready as the noise behind him indicated Daniel and Teal'c had arrived, already moving into position. "Lead the way Bra'tac," Jack commanded. The sooner he got to the Teltac and saw his Captain the happier he would be.

This planet could not have been more different from the ruined images of P3X 924 of the Malrion. There were no trees here, just rolling hills of green in all direction. The Stargate was positioned on the flat top of a hill, the plateau roughly a 500 metre in diameter circle before sloping gently down into a valley and then up on the other side to form a chain of undulating mounds. The sun was off to the left, a lot brighter than Earth's, making Jack squint and wish he had brought his sunglasses or his cap. He'd forgone both in his hurry to grab his gear.

Janet came through the Gate next, the petite doctor ready for anything on the other side of the Gate. It was rare she got the chance to Gate travel but now was one of those times she was needed. Sticking close to SG-1 she waved her medical team forward, all unsure of what to expect.

"Alright, Makepeace! Stay here and form a perimeter around the Gate. Set up a watch- I want to know the instant _anything _attempts to make for the Gate. Stay in radio contact. Clear?" Jack said brusquely to the commander of the team who nodded curtly, already ordering his team into position.

Swiftly, Bra'tac was marching off to their left, SG-1 hurrying alongside him. Jack wondered where the Teltac was. He had seen nothing as they had walked through the Gate that resembled a ship, Jaffa or no. He hoped it wasn't far…

The Jaffa Master came to a sudden stop, throwing his arm up. The Colonel and archaeologist shared puzzled looks as Teal'c nodded in realisation. Bra'tac muttered something and the air before him shimmered, the green grass disappearing as the familiar shape a Jaffa Teltac appeared on the grass as though it had been there all along.

"This way," Bra'tac instructed as the ramp to his ship opened and he strode inside. Jack did not need instructing as he was on the heels of the older Jaffa, feet clattering on the metal floor of the craft. Already knowing where his Captain was likely to be, he hurried to the holding bay of the Teltac, knowing Daniel and Teal'c were right behind him, Janet bringing up the rear.

There, on the floor, surrounded by blankets, was Samantha Carter.

Sitting on the other side was a hunched-over form of a being of translucent amethyst colour. It had four humanoid limbs, far longer than any humans, with elongated fingers. It wore very sheer white clothing, wrapped in many layers around its lean body. Its face looked human enough, he could make out all the normal features, from it solemn looking, large, round eyes and small pointed nose and mouth.

However, military training kicking in, Jack drew his Zat instinctively, pointing it at the unknown creature as Daniel gasped in amazement upon seeing the alien for the first time. Teal'c also readied his staff weapon.

"Stop!" Bra'tac said at once.

"What is it?" Jack demanded, not removing his trained weapon from pointing directly at the creature.

"This is a Vikram," Bra'tac responded quickly.

Jack blinked, trying to remember what Carter had been telling him back on the planet when they were escaping. It couldn't be…but was worth a go… "Remmie?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes," the Vikram blinked slowly. "Colonel O'Neill… Samantha is gravely injured."

"Ya don't say," Jack muttered, looking back at the face of his second in command, his eyes picking out the grim looking injuries marring the smooth skin.

Somewhere behind him, Jack distractedly picked up on the gasp of surprise and horror from Daniel as he stepped into the holding room, catching his first glimpse of his friend. With medically trained eye, Janet marched through, unsnapping her helmet as she did so, kneeling by the Colonel and examining her patient.

It did not look good.

Several gashes covered the legs of the Captain, as well as a painful looking burn spanning her right arm from shoulder to elbow. Her forehead and one side of her face were caked in blood and grime from a large cut above her left eyebrow. The worst injury was by far the Captain's stomach. Amid the torn and ripped green BDUs blood was flowing sluggishly from the mess of ruined and burnt skin.

_Geez…_Jack thought, raking a hand through his hair as watched Janet searching for a pulse at Sam's neck, her expression grim. The Captain's chest was barely moving and her ashen grey complexion gave no relief to anyone in the room. Daniel was biting his lip so hard; Jack was surprised the archaeologist hadn't noticed the pain, so intently was he staring at his injured friend.

"Hey- Carter, Carter!" Jack's hand hovered above the captain's shoulder. "Carter can you hear me?"

Sam didn't move, didn't respond in the slightest to her commanding officer's questions. Her head lolled to the side as he shook her shoulder gently, encouraging her to wake up.

"C'mon Carter- I want to hear that techno-babble you love to spout- I promise to listen…" Jack tried again more firmly. "Carter!"

Slowly, as though it had been his imagination, Jack saw the eyelids flutter- just a bit. Gradually, they opened and a glassy pair of familiar blue eyes lethargically gazed at him before beginning to slide shut again, the effort to keep them open too much.

"Uhuh Captain, keep them open," Jack said gently, leaning in closer.

Ever the soldier, Jack watched her latch onto his command as Sam forced her eyes to stay open another painful moment. "Sir…" the cracked lips moved and Jack was able to read the word rather than hear it completely.

"You're gonna be fine," he assured her, looking at Janet beside him, who nodded, greatly relieved to see Sam conscious. Sam blinked and then her eyes closed as she exhaled, falling unconscious again, no matter what the Colonel said to try and coax her awake again.

"I have…tried to keep her… stable," Remmie's small, wearied voice said. "It is difficult."

"Is it alright to move her back to the SGC?" Jack asked of Janet. The sooner he got Carter back to the SGC and into proper medical care he could breathe a sigh of relief. Not that he doubted Janet's abilities in the field, but everything was a lot safer and sanitary at the SGC infirmary.

"Not until she's stable," Janet replied instantly, ripping open a medical bandage as one of her team handed her a syringe so she could administer a shot. "Sir she's lost a lot of blood, pulse is weak and I'm worried about her stomach injury. Colonel…I'm not sure…"

"You do _everything_ to keep her alive," Jack ordered gruffly, laying a hand on the Captain's shoulder, leaning in closer. "You hear that Carter- you are not leaving us…clear?"

"Dammit Colonel, she's not responding to the drugs," Janet swore frustratedly as she felt for a pulse again. "Come on Sam, just breathe…" the doctor ordered.

Jack swallowed. "You heard the doc, Carter. You better do as she says," he warned as light heartedly as he could. "She'll turn nasty otherwise- big_, big_ needles nasty." This was not going as he planned. If Carter wasn't stable enough to be moved they were facing a big problem. He wasn't just going to let her bleed out on the damn Teltac floor…she was too good for that. She had too much to offer to be allowed to die on this random planet of all places…

"How did you survive unharmed?" Daniel asked the Vikram.

"Samatha…protected me…in the blast…" Remmie explained as the Vikram laid a long hand on the Captain's arms, eyes closed in concentration. "I was…mostly…unharmed."

For a moment anger washed over Jack. That was Samantha Carter- selfless and always ready to step forward to help. She had protected the weak Vikram with her own body because she thought it was important to do so. Never mind the consequences to herself. She had refused the order to follow him through the Stargate because she knew it would be bad if the Vikram had ended up in Apophis' clutches. And now look at the mess she was in. Why did it have to be Carter?

Jack glanced at Bra'tac observing behind with Teal'c, exhaling deeply in an attempt to get rid of the anger. "How did you…" he gestured vaguely to the prone form of Sam lying on the floor of the Teltac's holding bay.

"I believe Master Bra'tac initiated the use of the rings aboard this vessel," Teal'c spoke up, glancing at the rings on the floor a few feet from Sam's body and back to the Colonel.

Jack raised an eyebrow. Well that made sense after all.

"I flew overhead just after the explosion from Apophis' mother-ship," Bra'tac explained. "There was little time between deploying the rings and escaping as the Death Glider returned. My scanners picked up one human life sign. The Vikram was brought up with the Captain."

"Sir, we need to get her back to better facilities but I'm concerned about moving her," Janet said, as she began attending to the gash on the Captain's forehead, her orderly passing her bandages as the Daniel held up the IV line.

Jack cursed under his breath, scrubbing a hand over his face. This was the worst sort of dilemma.

"I will keep her alive," the Vikram spoke up, blinking owlishly and glancing between the Colonel and the Chief Medical Officer. "But…we must go now. I have little…strength."

"Then we take her back," Jack said at once. "Get ready to move out. Teal'c- can you move this thing as close to the Stargate as possible?"

"I shall O'Neill," Teal'c acquiesced with a deep nod, before leaving for the bridge of the small ship, Bra'tac beside him.

Jack reached for his radio, "O'Neill to Makepeace," he waited for the commander of SG-3 to respond before outlining his plan. "Dial up the Stargate now- tell the General we're about to come through with a severely wounded officer."

"_Yes sir," _Jack heard Makepeace reply before the Colonel started shouting orders to his team mates to get the Gate dialled up.

There was a low clanking noise and Jack felt the hull of the Teltac shake as Teal'c announced they were moving. Janet held her patient as still as possible, still concerned with the blood flow from Carter's stomach as the Teltac glided towards the Stargate, in the expert hands on Teal'c.

Jack watched critically as Sam was gently placed on a stretcher with the minimalist amount of movement or jarring of her injuries. The Vikram rose smoothly, standing at all times beside the stretcher being carried by two of the medical orderlies, one palm placed on the female officer's uninjured arm.

"Let's go," Janet said, keeping a sharp eye on her patient as they exited the Teltac, Daniel and Teal'c bringing up the rear.

* * *

SG-3 were waiting beside the Stargate as the group descended from the ship, weapons ready as they stood guard. At Makepeace's nod they slipped through the wormhole ahead to warn the SGC of what was needed, a spare medic hurrying with them to prepare the infirmary.

"Let's get her home," Jack said as the medics carefully carried Sam across through the Stargate, Jack beside them. Daniel and Teal'c went through ahead. Confident that he had his _whole_ team with him this time, Jack stepped through the Stargate. No leaving anyone behind, no worrying about being fired upon.

The familiar sights and sounds of the SGC accosted him as soon as Jack stepped onto the ramp, boots clattering as he went to join Teal'c and Daniel who were already at the bottom of the ramp, where Janet was crouched beside the stretcher baring a limp looking Samantha Carter.

General Hammond was hurrying down to the Gate room.

Jack did not like the look on the CMO's face as she placed two fingers to Sam's neck, looking intently at her patient. After a moment she placed her cheek above the Captain's lips. "She's not breathing and I can't find a pulse!"

Jack's heart plummeted.

* * *

**Bad me again…sorry! Tune in sometime next week for the next update! **

**Please review and tell me what you thought. Medical language is not my area of speciality and I didn't want to sound stupid saying something really wrong! So I've left it simple. As you saw! If anyone has any advice on how to write Janet's medical jargon I'm willing to listen and learn! :D**

**AldabaranFox**


	13. Chapter 13

**I feel soooo bad- I haven't updated this since January! Blame uni life, exams, lack of muse etc. I'm so sorry! Thanks to iamiamjake for kicking me into action and reminding me I've left this fic for so long. Coming back I feel like I've lost how I understood the characters before- so I hope this sits right and no one is OOC. I had to rewatch quite a few episodes to get back into the Stargate feel for things.**

**Thank you for all the reviews so far as well :) I love reading them and see you guys enjoying this as much as I am! A hint for this chapter- try listening to Stargate soundtrack Cold Lazarus or The Nox (middle/end of the piece) I think it will help set the sombre mood and release the emotions a little more.**

**Any medical knowledege isn't necessarily correct- but I did do a little bit of research- so I'm sorry if it's incorrect!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13- Time to Learn to Let them Go

_Jack did not like the look on the CMO's face as she placed two fingers to Sam's neck, looking intently at her patient. After a moment she placed her cheek above the Captain's lips. "She's not breathing and I can't find a pulse!"_

_Jack's heart plummeted._

The sirens continued to wail in the Gate room as the doors slid open and an emergency medical team hurried in, wheeling a gurney along with them. Jack nearly stumbled in his haste as he clattered down the ramp from the Stargate, Janet's words ringing in his ears, over and over again. _"She's not breathing…can't find a pulse!" _

There had to be a mistake- she had been breathing when they'd left the planet. "Check again!" he demanded as he approached the medical team. No- not now… not after they had _finally _brought her home. She was home, safe, dammit no! He had given her an express order- she wasn't going to give up- hell he wasn't going to _allow _her to give up. He sank down onto his knees, ignoring their creaking, beside her frighteningly still body, eyes roving over the injuries covering his second in command.

"Come on Carter…c'mon…" he muttered. "You're home; you're safe- so fight!" She lay, pale and unresponsive beside him, her eyes shut and her skin clammy as he rested a hand on her uninjured one, mindful though of the burn along that arm. "Carter- you hear me- wake up!" he hissed.

"Move!" Janet ordered the cluster of people surrounding Sam so she could get to work. "Starting compressions! Someone fetch me a defib!" Janet's voice rang out as she arranged her hands above the non- breathing Captain's sternum and beginning the lifesaving compressions to keep Samantha Carter alive. "Come. On. Sam!" she muttered in time with the pushes.

Obeying the small CMO-albeit reluctantly, Jack got back to his feet, gripping and twisting his cap so tightly he thought it would rip. Daniel had gone very pale as they watched Janet and her team attempt to revive their friend. This was not happening…not happening. The archaeologist could hardly bear to watch the proceedings. His eyes flicked to the Colonel who was staring so fixatedly at their injured team member it was as though he could simply _will_ her back to health.

Then suddenly the SFs guarding the Gate room had their weapons out and primed, pointing at the Vikram who had gone unnoticed for a moment, the vestiges of the invisibility illusion still shrouding the alien kneeling by the prone form of Sam. Even General Hammond looked stunned to see the alien creature in his Gate room as he arrived hot on the heels of the medical team.

"Stand down!" Jack ordered immediately, waving his arm at the bewildered SFs, Daniel protesting alongside his leader. "Don't shoot!"

"Colonel?" Hammond demanded, staring at the lightly purple skinned alien, who dwarfed all of his men easily, even though it was currently sitting on the ground. The SFs in front of the General waited for the command, their weapons still trained on the hostile suspect.

"It's the Vikram sir, the one that Carter saved," Jack explained, lamely indicating to Remmie who was still crouched with Janet as they attempted to revive Sam. "It's helping her- please sir, just let it."

Hammond nodded slowly, catching a glimpse of the desperation in SG1's faces as the three men looked at him. "Weapons down men," he ordered. "But I still want an armed escort to guard the creature," he said, assigning to SFs to flank the Vikram, just to be on the safe side. "Master Bra'tac- welcome back," he greeted the older Jaffa who had been rather overlooked in the frantic few minutes of arrivals.

Bra'tac nodded solemnly back at the General, moving to stand by his former student. Knowing Teal'c well, the Jaffa Master could see the worry and tension in his friend's face as he watched the medics attempt to revive his friend.

Janet continued the compressions, determination blazing in her eyes; she wasn't going to let her friend die here. Sam meant too much to everyone to just give up on the Gate room floor. _Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty! _Janet paused from her compressions to allow a medic kneeling by Sam's head to pump air into the captain's lungs, twice, two slow, even breaths. Then back to the compressions. "Where is that defibrillator?" Janet demanded as she worked. The machine was passed to her and she quickly attached the pads to Sam's body. It was going to be a harrowing experience for everyone to see this but she had no other choice but to do it here. "Stand clear!" she warned the people standing around. The device was automated and immediately sent a shockwave through Sam, causing her body to lurch at the jolt. Janet checked again, still nothing. "Clear!" she said again.

The defibrillator shocked again, a higher voltage this time and Sam's body heaved upwards.

Jack stared blankly at the scene before him. He felt nothing; in fact his whole body was numb as his brain refused to process what was going on. _Why? Why was this happening? _All his attention was taken up by the sight of his captain being shocked by the defibrillator. Hell, the whole mountain could have exploded at that point and Jack wasn't sure if he would have noticed or not.

_Just live…_

_Live…_

_C'mon please…_

"Still nothing," Janet reported, biting her lip as the fourth shockwave produced nothing. "Sir," she looked to the General who appeared just as resigned. It was not looking hopeful. Not that she would give up on Sam, _ever, _but nothing was working.

"No! You can't stop!" Daniel said, stumbling forwards, his legs having turned to jelly at the thought of them giving up on his dear friend. "Jack- tell them!" the archaeologist turned to the Colonel- his eyes wide and pleading. "Jack!" he tried again when he got no response from the clammed up Colonel. It was as if the older man was not even been aware Daniel was there. Daniel couldn't even begin to imagine what this was doing to the Colonel.

"She's not responding to anything," Janet said softly. The defibrillator buzzed again. "Shocking again!" Janet announced, praying that Sam's heart would start. For the fifth time the electricity coursed through Sam's body, but her heart stubbornly refused to beat. The medics continued to breathe for the captain.

"Is there nothing else you can do?" Hammond demanded. There had to be something. SG1 and the others on the base had not gone through the heartache of losing the Captain, just to bring her back to die. Hammond was not sure if the rest of the team would survive.

Janet shook her head sadly. "There's no pulse sir and she's nothing breathing or responding to anything. I think…she's gone."

"Just once more, please!" Daniel begged, Teal'c nodding beside him. Jack said nothing as he simply stared at the face of his second in command, his face set like stone, his eyes unmoving, his own chest barely rising as he breathed. "She wouldn't stop if it was you, just try again!" again he threw a glance at the unresponsive Colonel, looking for support. He was met with the same blank gaze.

"Son…" Hammond began quietly, trying to offer words of comfort to the distraught young man. He had lost people under his command before and it never got easier, seeing the brave men and women laying down their lives to protect each other, to protect the planet and its billions of unaware occupants. "I know it's hard to accept…We've got to learn to let things go…"

_It takes time to learn_

_When someone's gone for good_

_They're not coming back_

_Like you wished they would…_

Teal'c straightened, raising his staff weapon in a silent salute as Bra'tac did the same. The Jaffa of SG1 could not have looked more downcast.

"Time of death-" Janet began, her voice wavering. It was a tragedy to lose anyone…but Sam…her best friend on the base. The CMO could barely keep her composure as she lifted her watch. This couldn't be happening. Reluctantly, the medic pumping air slowly into Sam's lungs sat back, removing the face mask from the captain's mouth and nose.

"Remove the device…" the Vikram spoke for the first time.

"What?" several voices demanded, Daniel, Janet and Hammond's amongst them.

"I shall heal her," Remmie announced, voice a delicate whisper in the Gate room, so those further away had to strain to hear, yellow eyes blinking slowly. "Your methods…are primitive…I shall bring her…back."

"Do it," Daniel urged the CMO who still looked cautious. "The Vikram's healing abilities…we can still save her."

Willing to accept anything that could save Samantha Carter, Janet removed the pads from Sam's chest, shutting down the defibrillator machine as she guardedly backed away from the alien life form crouched beside the lifeless captain. Slowly, the Vikram straightened, white silk clothing rustling as it settled itself beside Sam. Slowly, Remmie extended a long and thin amethyst arm, splaying long, slim fingers over Sam's chest. The yellow round eyes slid shut.

All was silent in the Gate room, as everyone held their own breath. All eyes were trained on this unknown alien life form attempting to heal one of their own. SFs looked on, whilst Daniel twisted his fingers together in desperation. He had read about Vikram healing abilities…he only hoped it was not too late. The result of Sam's death on the team…Daniel risked looking at the frozen form of the Colonel…and what it would do to Jack. The archaeologist could not bear to think about the consequences.

_Please Sam…we need you here…don't leave us…_

Then, breaking the silence was the sound that everybody had been praying and waiting for. A gasp for air ripped through the quietness of the Gate room and all eyes immediately fixed on the person. Sam's chest heaved of its own accord, rising and falling as her lungs inflated by themselves.

"She's breathing!" Janet cried, darting forwards to place two fingers on the side of Sam's neck. "Confirmed- I have a pulse!"

One long, shuddering breath left Jack's lungs as the words registered in his brain. She was breathing, her heart was beating. She was alive. Alive. The thought coursed through his veins as the feeling of sheer relief followed just as strongly, washing over him like a waterfall. Not caring about what anyone said, he pushed past the hovering medics, kneeling at his captain's side again, determined to see it for himself. Only then…only…he watched as Sam breathed by herself and he could not help the smile that spread across his face.

"Told ya Carter…told you, you could fight this," he said, past the lump in his throat. Unable to say anything else, he sat back on his heels, absentmindedly noticing Daniel hug Teal'c in his excitement just in his peripheral vision and see a beaming Hammond standing on his left.

Jack glanced up and saw Janet on Sam's other side and caught the CMO's eye. She nodded once, a smile dancing on her face. Then she sobered immediately. "Let's move her to the Infirmary stat! Prep for surgery!" she ordered the medics around her, starting a whirl of activity as the team in their white medical coats hurried to obey, carefully lifting the limp but _alive_ Samantha Carter off of the stretcher on the Gate room floor and up onto the lowered gurney.

* * *

Three hours. It had been three hours since Sam had been whisked off to the Infirmary to undergo life-saving surgery. There had been no word since and the door had remained firmly shut. No matter how hard Jack had tried he had been refused entry.

So, he had paced outside the infirmary- wearing holes in both his shoes and the floor. Daniel had refused to leave his side, knowing that Jack would probably try and do something foolhardy if left alone. The archaeologist was sitting in a plastic chair outside the infirmary, eyes fixated on an interesting spot on the opposite wall that was occasionally blocked by a pacing Colonel. Teal'c had gone to kel'no'reem with Bra'tac in order to pass the time.

Eventually, when it was clear that no amount of pacing outside was going to speed up his captain's surgery, Jack had wondered away from the infirmary, unable to stand the waiting outside. Letting his feet take him where they wanted, he aimlessly walked past scientists, technicians and other SG teams as he meandered about the base. The base personnel gave him a wide birth, rumours already flying that SG1 were grieving over the death of Captain Carter or she was alive but in an unresponsive coma.

Getting out of the lift, Jack realised he had no idea where he was, his body just on autopilot. Glancing around, he realised he was on Level 19. So this is where his feet had subconsciously taken him. He walked slowly along the corridor, heading towards the room he knew was still empty.

The comforting noise of the gentle humming and whirring of computers and monitors washed over him as he stepped into the empty lab. It was quite dark; the main lights were off and Jack made no move to switch them on. He felt oddly peaceful among the technology and alien equipment. The only light came from the winking on and off of coloured pinpricks on different pieces of equipment, glinting off screens and reflective surfaces. The work bench as usual was cluttered with different books and pieces of equipment that probably had some vague order to his scrupulously neat captain but looked like a jumbled heap to all else.

Carter's lab. That's where he had wound up.

Seating himself on one of the swivel chairs and bemusedly thinking about déjà vu as he spun round a couple of times, his eyes lazily alighting on various objects of note in the room. He tried imagining the room without Carter, the SGC without Carter...life without Carter. For some reason, every time he tried, he failed. Her lab just radiated her presence, it was as if she would pop up from behind her workbench having dropped something or come sailing into the room bemoaning about Felger messing up her latest experiment.

"Come back Carter," Jack said quietly to the empty lab. "Just…come back."

* * *

**I hope that was ok and the characters weren't too OC. Jack was difficult to write- hope there were no problems though. Any comments though and I would love to hear them :) Review! **

**Sorry again about the wait- the next chapter- probably only one more to go and a small epilogue I will definitely not make you wait 6 months for!**

**AldabaranFox**


End file.
